Google pushes Gemini transition to 2026, extending Google Assistant's life on Android devices

Gemini isn't replacing Google Assistant on Android just yet

Google isn't ready to replace Assistant with Gemini on Android devices just yet. The company said on Friday that it will "continue our work to upgrade Assistant users to Gemini on mobile devices into 2026," instead of its original plans to make the switch by the end of 2025. "We're adjusting our previously announced timeline to make sure we deliver a seamless transition," Google says. Once the transition away from Google Assistant is complete, users will no longer be able to access the voice assistant on devices that meet the minimum requirements to run Gemini. Users also won't be able to download the Google Assistant app. Google has already brought Gemini to Wear OS smart watches, Android Auto, and Nest and Google Home devices. This year, Google took steps toward replacing Assistant with Gemini on Android by giving users the ability to initiate phone calls, set timers, and send messages through Gemini without Gemini Apps Activity toggled on. The change allows people to use Gemini's assistant-like capabilities while opting out of having their interactions used for AI training.

Google Delays Plans for Gemini to Replace Assistant on Android

(Credit: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Google missed its own self-imposed deadline to move the majority of Android devices from its Assistant platform over to its modern AI Gemini. In March, Google said it would upgrade more users throughout the year with plans to retire Assistant on "most mobile devices" by the end of 2025. That plan is for devices running Android 10 or later with 2GB of RAM or more, which is most modern Android phones and tablets. A Gemini community manager shared an update on the brand's forums last week saying Google would be changing its timeline. The brand said, "We're adjusting our previously announced timeline to make sure we deliver a seamless transition, and will continue our work to upgrade Assistant users to Gemini on mobile devices into 2026." You can still download the Assistant app from both Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store, although the software hasn't received any updates since a bug fix on July 23. Eventually, Google plans to make that app incompatible with modern devices to encourage users to switch to Gemini. Google's most recent update says it will share more details "in the coming months," suggesting it may be a while into next year before it enacts its plans. Assistant is integral to many other devices outside of Android, such as Google's smart home Nest products. The brand is rolling out early access to a replacement platform called Gemini for Home that users can opt in to use. Late last week, Google began rolling out access to Gemini for Home's beta to those in Canada. It's launching in English first with plans for French language support to land early next year. Google's AI chatbot has gone from strength to strength in 2025 with the Gemini 3 update and Nano Banana Pro image-generation tool impressing many. The improvements reportedly saw OpenAI call a "code red" to make improvements to its ChatGPT system.

Assistant isn't dead yet: Google backtracks on its Gemini timeline

2025 was supposed to be the end for Google Assistant on Android devices. Nine months ago, Google said Assistant would be fully replaced by Gemini "later this year." The number of days left on the calendar is dwindling fast, but Assistant isn't going anywhere just yet. Since March, Google has been busy working on Gemini and adapting essential Assistant features. The plan was to move all Android users with compatible hardware over to Gemini by the end of 2025 by removing the choice to use Assistant entirely. The company has officially relaxed its timeline, confirming that the transition will now stretch into 2026. We're adjusting our previously announced timeline to make sure we deliver a seamless transition, and will continue our work to upgrade Assistant users to Gemini on mobile devices into 2026. We'll share more details on our plans in the coming months. If you've used Gemini on your Android device, you probably understand why a delay is needed. Gemini is good for summarizing long emails and having natural conversations, but it still struggles as a basic "assistant." Things like adding items to a list, initiating smart home routines, and understanding quick voice commands. Google has checked everything off its original list of Assistant features to match with Gemini, but there's apparently more work to be done. Related Say Goodbye to Google Assistant on Your Smartwatch Are you ready to say goodbye to the Google Assistant on your Android smartwatch? Google's been laying the groundwork for replacing the Assistant with Gemini for months, and it's finally happening. The transition started with the Pixel Watch, and now more WearOS devices are getting Gemini. Posts By Cory Gunther While it's nice to see that Google is rushing something before it's ready, it leads one to wonder why a replacement is necessary when the new product seems to be so far behind. And where was this abundance of caution when it came to the disastrous launch of AI-powered Google Search? For now, you still have the power to choose, but don't expect it to stick around much longer. It should also be noted that this does not affect the Gemini transition for Google Home and Nest smart speakers and displays. This is specifically for Android phones, Wear OS watches, and earbuds. The company's commitment to Gemini has not wavered, for better or worse. Source: Android Authority Related Gemini is Replacing Google Assistant on Smart Displays and Speakers Gemini is officially replacing the Google Assistant on all your smart displays and speakers, starting with an early access program this month. This will adjust your smart speaker from taking rigid, transactional commands to conversational AI. Posts By Jorge A. Aguilar

The switch from Google Assistant to Gemini on Android devices has been pushed back to next year

You may remember that back in March, Google declared that its shiny new Gemini AI app would be taking over from Google Assistant on Android devices by the end of 2025. In a new update, Google now says the process will continue into 2026. The latest announcement (via 9to5Google) explains that the previous timeline is going to be adjusted so that "a seamless transition" between the old AI and the new AI can be ensured, and that more details will be shared in the coming months. There's no fixed deadline date to the extension, all that we know is the work will continue "into 2026". We don't get any mention of specific devices that are still waiting for the transition, or of any particular bugs that need to be sorted. Of course on newer devices such as the Google Pixel 10 there's only Gemini, and no sign of Google Assistant, but on lots of older devices you can still run both of these AI apps and switch between them for different tasks. When the switch is finally completed next year, Google Assistant will stop working on all Android phones and tablets, and it will no longer be available to download. From that point on, it'll have to be Google Assistant for everyone. This is a process that's happening across all other devices and platforms too, as you might have noticed. It looks very much like Gemini will be the default assistant for everyone on Android Auto by March 2026, for example. Google is also busy switching over all of its smart home devices to Gemini, with gadgets going back 10 years eligible for the swap. This isn't going quite as smoothly as Google would like, a sign of just how technically challenging all of this is. The difficulties Google has been having with smart home devices has perhaps contributed to the delay on Android too. If you're still using Google Assistant on an Android phone or tablet, you'll be able to continue doing so for a little longer.

Google confirms Gemini will fully replace Assistant on phones in 2026

Google Assistant gets an extension as Gemini misses its phone deadline Google's massive project to swap out the trusty old Google Assistant for its smarter AI successor, Gemini, is hitting a slight delay. The transition is definitely still happening, but it won't be wrapped up this year as originally promised. Instead, the company has confirmed that the rollout will stretch into 2026, giving us all a little more time with the legacy Assistant while they iron out the kinks in the new experience. Back in the spring, Google laid out a bold vision to completely overhaul how we use our smartphones. The plan was to move away from a traditional voice assistant that just follows commands to an AI capable of real reasoning and deep contextual understanding. The original announcement in March suggested we would see a rapid "upgrade" to Gemini on mobile, with the old Assistant disappearing from newer Android phones and app stores over the following months. But Gemini coming to mobile is way more than just a simple rebrand. Google views this as a fundamental shift toward personalized, AI-powered help that understands natural conversation and can actually interact with the other apps on your phone. It's built on the latest generative AI tech, allowing for features like free-flowing chats in Gemini Live and the ability to give complex, researched answers - things the old Assistant just couldn't handle. Recommended Videos Despite these big ambitions and some early launches on Wear OS watches and Android Auto, Google is tapping the brakes. They want to make sure the switch is genuinely "seamless" before they retire Assistant for good. A quiet update to their support pages clarified that moving mobile users over to Gemini is now a process that will continue through 2026, rather than finishing in 2025. The timeline for other platforms like cars is likely on a similar slow track. For anyone with an Android phone, this means you aren't losing the Assistant you know overnight. You can still rely on it for the basics like setting timers, making calls, or answering quick questions. If you are eager, you can manually download the Gemini app to try out the new features now. Eventually, Gemini will take over as the default, handling those daily tasks while also pulling in data from across your apps for much smarter help. This delay basically shows Google is playing it safe with a massive change. Replacing a system that has been the backbone of Android for nearly ten years isn't easy. It requires rigorous testing and slow improvements to work across billions of devices without breaking anything. Google's end game remains the same: phase out Assistant and bake Gemini into everything - tablets, headphones, smart home gear, and cars. We will likely see this transition get a lot more aggressive in the first half of 2026 as Gemini gets smarter and integrates deeper into the Google ecosystem.

Google Decides That Google Assistant Can Stick Around a Bit Longer

We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. More info. You may have forgotten the timeline, but Google was pushing to force all off of Google Assistant and onto Gemini by the end of this year. Like with all things AI, the timing hasn't quite worked out and they are instead "adjusting" that previous timeline to a later date within 2026. Google made the short announcement today on their Gemini Apps help page, where they noted that they are making this change to be "sure [they] delver a seamless transition." The plan is to continue upgrading users from Google Assistant to Gemini "into 2026." That's a somewhat vague end date for this change, but they did say they hope to hare more details on these new plans "in the coming months." For now, if you have not yet made the switch to Gemini, you can stick with Google Assistant and hope that it can still do anything useful.

Gemini will now replace Google Assistant on Android in 2026

The transition from Google Assistant to Gemini is taking a little longer than Google hoped. The upgrade on Android phones is slipping into 2026. Google is officially pushing back its plans to replace Google Assistant on Android phones and tablets with the Generative AI-based Gemini platform. The company had previously vowed to push the upgrade through on Android devices by the end of 2025. Now Google says it is adjusting the timeline - naturally unless it planned to remedy matters in the last two weeks of December - to complete the transition in 2026. Google said it is doing so to ensure a "seamless transition." When Google had initially shared news of the forthcoming upgrade, in March, it pointed out that the Google Assistant had served its purpose and the Generative AI-based Gemini was coming to make interactions more personal and aware of the world around you. Google had promised the update on Android phones - taking place throughout 2025, and available out of the box on new Android handsets like the Pixel 10 Pro - was also going to make users more productive, more creative and more curious. "When we launched Google Assistant in 2016, natural language processing and voice recognition technology unlocked a more natural way to get help from Google. Nearly a decade later, we're in the midst of another platform shift -- this time, generative AI is transforming the way we interact with technology," Google said back in March. "To continue our work of building the world's most helpful assistant, we've reimagined the experience with AI at its core to make Gemini your personal, AI-powered assistant. While our expectations for what an assistant can do are rapidly changing, the mission remains the same." When the update is complete the Google Assistant will no longer be available.