Google Gemini Retires Gems Feature, Transitions to More Powerful Skills System in November
9 Sources
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Google is killing off Gemini's Gems in favor of 'skills'
As all-in-one AI agents like Meta's Muse and Instinct take off, Google announced it's shutting down the Gemini feature known as "Gems," which had allowed users to build custom AI assistants for specific tasks. However, the work users invested in creating the Gems won't be destroyed. Gems will be
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Gemini is getting rid of Gems, and its replacement aims to make repetitive work a lot easier
* Gemini replaces Gems with "skills" and migrates your existing Gems automatically. * Skills can be invoked with / (soon @), stacked in chats, and auto-invoke when useful. * Build a skill once to speed repetitive tasks: slides, matching your writing, or fresh viewpoints. AI is really good at
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Your Gemini Gems are getting a powerful makeover this November
https://www.androidpolice.com/found-gemini-feature-so-good-stopped-using-everything-else/ are a handy way to store detailed prompts, rules, and formatting preferences that you can then reuse whenever required. Think of them as a customized AI expert for a specific topic. You can give a Gem relevant
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Adios, Gems: Google's new Gemini skills won't be paywalled
We learned earlier this week that skills, a Gemini feature that was previously reserved for the Gemini Spark AI assistant, would step in for Gems, and that existing Gems would be converted to skills in the runup to the November sunset date. One of the big questions about skills, which are
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Gemini app replacing Gems with skills in November
In 2024, Google introduced Gems as "custom versions of Gemini." The Gemini app will soon replace Gems with "skills." Going to the Gems manager today reveals a new notice at the top: "Gems will become skills starting Nov 17, 2026." Starting November 17, 2026, we'll automatically begin migrating
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How to Create Custom Skills in Google Gemini for Automations
Google's Gemini platform has introduced a new feature called "skills," designed to streamline task automation by allowing the creation of reusable instructions. This functionality is available across both Gemini Chat and Gemini Spark, offering users a way to automate repetitive tasks with precision
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Google is replacing a popular Gemini feature in November
Most people who use AI tools for recurring tasks run into the same problem. A chatbot does not remember what it did last time. A user who needs Gemini to write in a specific tone, follow a particular research process, or stick to a coding framework has to explain all of that again at the start of
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Google Winds Down Gems and Pushes Skills via Gemini Spark
Gems was launched back in 2024 to help users customise their AI to perform specific tasks without multiple instructions Looks like all-in-one AI agents have claimed their first victim. Google appears to be sun-setting its Gemini feature called Gems that allows users to build custom AI assistants
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Gemini will say goodbye to Gems in a month: now what?
Google introduced Gems, in 2024, as customized versions of Gemini that let us give the assistant specific instructions and adapt it to specific tasks. Now, the company is preparing a major change to this customization, as Gems will start automatically turning into Skills from November 17, 2026, as
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Google announced that Gemini Gems will be replaced by skills starting November 17, 2026. The transition brings enhanced functionality, allowing users to invoke AI tasks with a forward slash command and stack multiple skills in a single chat. All existing Gems will be automatically migrated to skills.
Google is shutting down the Gemini Gems feature and replacing it with a more versatile system called skills, starting November 17, 2026
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. The transition marks a shift in how users interact with custom AI assistants within the Google Gemini AI platform, promising enhanced flexibility and workflow automation.Automatic Migration from Gems to Skills
Gems will be automatically migrated to skills without requiring user intervention
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. Users can continue using their existing Gems feature in Gemini until the migration completes on November 17, 2026. For those who prefer manual control, Google will also provide an option to convert Gems individually4
. Personal Gemini Gems will retire in November, while Workspace Gems for business, enterprise, and non-profit accounts will remain active until March 2027, and education accounts can use them until June 20274
.Enhanced Functionality with Gemini Skills
The new Gemini skills system offers significant improvements over the Gems feature. Users can now invoke AI tasks using a forward slash command (/) directly in any chat window, which will soon transition to an @ symbol
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. This approach streamlines AI task customization compared to the previous method of navigating to a dedicated Gems section3
. The ability to stack multiple skills in a single prompt represents a major upgrade, enabling users to automate repetitive tasks more efficiently2
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Source: 9to5Google
Skills Available to All Users, Not Paywalled
In a significant policy shift, Google confirmed that Gemini skills will be available to all users over 18 with a personal Google account, not just Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers
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. This contrasts with the initial rollout through Gemini Spark, which was restricted to paid users. The democratized access ensures that custom instructions for Gemini AI remain accessible across subscription tiers, though questions remain about specific feature parity for free users3
.Practical Applications and Workflow Improvements
Skills enable users to build custom chatbots for specific, recurring needs. Google highlights several use cases: preparing presentation outlines and talking points, matching individual writing styles across Workspace apps, and generating multiple perspectives on topics for brainstorming
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. The system can automatically detect when a skill would be useful and invoke it without manual prompting2
. Users can also invoke one skill from within another, creating sophisticated AI workflows for complex tasks3
.Missing Features Being Added to Skills
Google is upgrading skills with capabilities that existed in Gems. Users will be able to share skills with others, add Google Drive files for context, and incorporate notebooks from Gemini Notebook
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. These additions ensure feature parity while maintaining the enhanced accessibility of the new system. The AI assistant can be instructed to create skills based on user requirements, simplifying the setup process3
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Source: CXOToday
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Strategic Context and User Experience Concerns
The transition reflects Google's ongoing challenge with product naming and navigation consistency, a pattern that predates the AI era
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. Critics note that the forward slash interface favors engineer preferences over mainstream consumer usability, contrasting with competitors like Meta's Muse that rely on simple text input1
. The change was first reported by 9to5Google over the weekend1
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. Some analysts speculate the skills transition may coincide with the release of Gemini 4, potentially bringing performance improvements that narrow the gap with Claude and ChatGPT3
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Source: Geeky Gadgets
What This Means for Gemini Users
The shift to skills positions Google Gemini more competitively against other AI platforms while addressing workflow efficiency concerns. Watch for how the automatic migration handles complex Gems configurations and whether the promised feature additions materialize on schedule. The broader availability of skills to free users could accelerate adoption, but the command-based interface may still present a learning curve for non-technical users. As Google refines its AI assistant strategy, the skills system represents an attempt to balance power-user capabilities with mainstream accessibility.
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