Google to Replace Assistant with Gemini: A Major Shift in AI Strategy

End of Life: Gemini will completely replace Google Assistant later this year

Pour one out for Google Assistant, the sometimes helpful but often frustrating digital assistant Google launched in 2016. In its place, users will encounter Gemini, the generative AI Google has been integrating into every product in its portfolio. Later this year, Google will make Gemini its only supported assistant, forcing most of its users to abandon Assistant once and for all. The Gemini brand is barely a year old, but Google has moved aggressively to increase usage. When it released the Gemini app on Android, Google forced anyone who installed it to disable Assistant and switch to Gemini. It did this despite a plethora of missing features and the omnipresent issues of AI hallucinations. The company has forged ahead with Gemini's expansion in the intervening months, making Assistant's demise rather unsurprising. Since Gemini's debut, users have had the option of sticking with the legacy assistant, but that's not going to be an option soon. On mobile devices, the upgrade path (if you want to call it that) is clear. Most newly released phones already ship with Gemini as the default, and Google will prompt any remaining Assistant users to get the Gemini app. When Assistant is put out to pasture later in 2025, Google will remove the app from app stores and direct users to Gemini instead.

Why wait? Google is already dismantling Assistant as it switches to Gemini.

Google Assistant is not long for this world. Google confirmed what many suspected last week, that it will transition everyone to Gemini in 2025. Assistant holdouts may find it hard to stay on Google's old system until the end, though. Google has confirmed some popular Assistant features are being removed in the coming weeks. You may not miss all of them, but others could force a change to your daily routine. As Google has increasingly become totally consumed by Gemini, it was a foregone conclusion that Assistant would get the axe eventually. In 2024, Google removed features like media alarms and voice messages, but that was just the start. The full list of removals is still available on its support page (spotted by 9to5Google), but there's now a new batch of features at the top. Here's a rundown of what's on the chopping block. Favorite, share, and ask where and when your photos were taken with your voice Change photo frame settings or ambient screen settings with your voice Translate your live conversation with someone who doesn't speak your language with interpreter mode Get birthday reminder notifications as part of Routines Ask to schedule or hear previously scheduled Family Bell announcements Get daily updates from your Assistant, like "send me the weather everyday" Use Google Assistant on car accessories that have a Bluetooth connection or AUX plug Some of these are no great loss -- you'll probably live without the ability to get automatic birthday reminders or change smart display screensavers by voice. However, others are popular features that Google has promoted aggressively. For example, interpreter mode made a splash in 2019 and has been offering real-time translations ever since; Assistant can only translate a single phrase now. Many folks also use the scheduled updates in Assistant as part of their morning routine. Family Bell is much beloved, too, allowing Assistant to make custom announcements and interactive checklists, which can be handy for getting kids going in the morning. Attempting to trigger some of these features will offer a warning that they will go away soon. Google says Routines can be an alternative for some of these removed features. For example, you can create a custom Assistant routine to deliver the weather on a daily basis, though the process is a bit clunky and more prone to failure than having the feature built in. Gemini lacks direct replacements for most of this. You can ask Google's generative AI robot to do things, and sometimes it will comply. But it may also just do something completely different due to the omnipresent risk of AI hallucination. Now might be the time to think about controlling your smart home without yelling at a dumb robot. In its announcement last week, Google said it plans to have everyone using Gemini as a digital assistant by later this year (though it may face stiff competition from ChatGPT). As part of the changeover, it's working to enable Gemini on more devices, including cars, smart TVs, and headphones. However, we're beginning to see that doesn't apply to all Assistant devices -- the shutdown of Assistant car mics could just be the first of several new pieces of e-waste produced as a consequence of Assistant's death. Google hasn't confirmed a specific date for Assistant end-of-life, or which devices will be left behind, but we may get more clarity at Google I/O in May.

Google Gemini Is Replacing Google Assistant: Will Your Home Get Smarter?

When Google unveiled its new AI Gemini and how conversational it was, with free-flowing discussions and ready explanations for people, we were quick to wonder what that meant for the humble Google Assistant in our Nest speakers, smart displays and Google Home app. Now we've got an idea, as Google has begun completely replacing Google Assistant with Gemini on mobile devices. "Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores," Google reported in its blog update. That's quite clear for phone users! Say goodbye to the old voice assistant in 2025 because it's soon to become a memory of the past. But what about our smart homes? What about using Google Assistant to control security cameras or command the Google Home app? Google dropped some important hints about what to expect. First, if you didn't know, you can already use Gemini on Google Home for more complex searching tasks, while Google links up bits of the AI to help make Google Assistant more accurate Nest devices. So the voice assistant and the AI already live in the same space on at least one Google platform. That seems to be the direction Google is taking for all its Nest and home technology for now. While cars, tables, headphones and watches are all getting the permanent change to Gemini, Google is hedging a bit with the smart home. The company reports: "We're also bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs. We look forward to sharing more details with you in the next few months. Until then, Google Assistant will continue to operate on these devices." It sounds like Google's home plans are still in development, but the switchover is coming in time. And there are good reasons for that. Gemini on phones exists primarily within Google's own ecosystem, tapping into Google's search engine, photo app, etc. But in the smart home world, Gemini must communicate with all kinds of other platforms and devices. The Matter standard makes that a bit easier, but it's still a lot of work. Google Nest must also consider its approach to smart home brand partnerships. Many of these supported brands have used the "works with Google Assistant/Google Home" language for years. Switching over to the "Google Gemini" language means rewriting a lot of marketing and product specifications, among other details. That introduces complications and raises the risk of confusing customers, another reason this step may take plenty of extra time. Google talks about how people have "made the switch" to Gemini, but for the average person, the biggest difference will be how the response sounds: You may even keep using the same wake word, although those details aren't finalized. In the smart home, we'll likely use Gemini the same way we used Google Assistant, except it will hopefully be more precise in its answers and able to make more suggestions about home management. While many AI integrations may be behind the scenes, the average homeowner will see this more as a rebrand than anything else. The big question is if it's a rebrand worth getting excited about. We've had some troubles using Google Assistant for smart home control in the past year compared with voice assistants like Alexa or Apple's Siri. While Gemini has improved, it's still far from flawless, and if most people's encounters with Google AI are through flawed search result overviews, they may be hesitant to accept the change. Another question is about privacy. As Amazon's recent privacy removals from the upcoming Alexa Plus launch show, these new AI voice assistants can be more casual with our personal data, making people uneasy. Gemini needs to be careful about how much of our home data it hoovers up versus the utility it provides. To check out more, see our guide to how AI works in home security, how Gemini is turning your essays into AI-voiced podcasts and how Gemini is already getting a little invasive by using your search history data to personalize your Google search answers.

Google is officially dumping Assistant for Gemini

Jay Peters is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Google is finally moving on from Google Assistant. The company will be upgrading "more" users from Google Assistant to Gemini "over the coming months," according to a blog post. The classic Google Assistant "will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores" at some point "later this year." (9to5Google reports that phones running Android 9 or earlier and without at least 2GB of RAM will still be able to use the classic Assistant.) "Additionally, we'll be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini," Google says. "We're also bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs." The company says it will share more details "in the next few months." (I would guess that Google will announce information around that new experience at Google I/O in May.) In the meantime, "Google Assistant will continue to operate on these devices," according to Google. Google initially launched Google Assistant in 2016. Now, though, Gemini has become the catch-all branding for many of Google's AI and assistant-like efforts, so it's not too surprising that the company is officially retiring Google Assistant.

Google Gemini to Replace Google Assistant Within a Year

(Credit: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Google is set to retire Google Assistant, which will be gradually replaced by its flagship AI model, Google Gemini. Google Assistant launched in 2016, making Android's virtual assistant practically a relic in today's AI world. Google plans to upgrade users "over the coming months," with the classic Assistant becoming unavailable for most mobile devices by the year's end. However, the switch won't apply to all Android users, at least in the short term. If you don't have the hardware to run Google Gemini -- which requires a device with more than 2 GB of RAM running Android 10 or later -- things will stay as they are. Google didn't mention why it has decided now to sunset Google Assistant, but Google Gemini is rapidly becoming more fully featured than ever and has already launched plenty of new features in 2025. This week, Google rolled out a new opt-in feature that enables Gemini to tailor its responses based on past searches. For example, if you ask, "What new hobby or job should I explore?" Gemini may tailor its response based on your search history. The new feature can also show which data sources -- like saved info, past chats, or search history -- were used to generate the response. To try the feature, go to Gemini Apps and select "Personalization (experimental)" from the model drop-down menu to connect to search history. And if you'd prefer for Gemini not to constantly access your search history, you can opt out and disconnect the integration anytime. Last month, Gemini gained the ability to recall past conversations, allowing users to ask for an AI-generated summary of previous discussions on a particular topic. Google also announced that the tool will soon get new screen-sharing and live video capabilities as part of Gemini Live at this year's Mobile World Congress. Not sure how to use Google Gemini now that it's coming to your phone? Check out PCMag's guide to using Gemini to make life easier.

Google kills its AI Assistant, will replace it with Gemini

Yes, we are. And we promise your 'Droid and smart home kit will get a 'new experience' Google has decided to silence its voice Assistant and replace it with the Gemini AI service. Assistant debuted in 2016 and offered what Google called a "conversational interface" that could "enjoy entertainment, manage everyday tasks, and get answers from Google". Receiving assistance from the Assistant required users to either mash an icon or utter the key phrase "OK Google", then speak a command. The tool was included with Android and many Google services. Google also baked the assistant into its smart speakers and smart home gadgetry, and allowed third party hardware manufacturers to do so too. Developers were wooed to put Assistant to work with "Actions" that allowed the tool to perform custom tasks. To illustrate actions, Google imagined a hypothetical website called "Heavy Metal Detector" that offered a gig guide and news for aficionados of loud rock music. Google suggested the operator of such a site would build an action that allowed users to speak prompts such as "OK, Google. Talk to Heavy Metal Detector to find metal concerts." Sadly, Assistant is not very good. In your correspondent's experience it would often struggle to interpret the above request for info about metal gigs. And a smart speaker in a distant room was as likely to respond to a prompt as one at arm's length. In 2022 our columnist Mark Pesce opined that the whole category of voice assistants had failed because nobody used them for anything other than playing music and countdown timers. In 2023, Google retired Actions, suggesting Mark was right. Google now seems to have tired of Assistant, too, as a Friday post announced it will be replaced by the Big G's shiny new generative AI toy, Gemini. "Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices," wrote Gemini app senior director for product management Brian Marquardt. "Additionally, we'll be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini," he added. Marquardt also promised "a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs" with details to come "in the next few months." Marquardt's post offers no detail about that new experience, but opens with the following observation: "We believe an assistant should be personal to you, and aware of the world around you. It should be able to interact with the apps and services you already use. And it should make you more productive, more creative and a bit more curious." It's also possible that Gemini might also make you a little poorer, because Samsung - which is all-in on Google's AI in its latest Galaxy S smartphones - has recently warned buyers of its hardware that they may one day require a subscription to access AI features provided by partners. As of January 2025, the Korean giant said it would be at least a year before AI subscriptions arrived ... which would be a few months after the death of Google Assistant. ®

Google Assistant is getting scrapped, and you may not like what's replacing it

Summary Google Gemini will replace Assistant on mobile devices and other gadgets. Gemini lacks certain abilities like setting alarms and calendar events. Users may not have an option to switch back to Assistant once Gemini takes over. Before LLMs took the main stage, Google Assistant had been around, helping people set reminders and navigate their phone. Then came Google's LLM, Gemini. All of a sudden, the Assistant's days seemed numbered, as it didn't have the same reasoning and ability to decipher what a user wants as Gemini. Now, Google has confirmed that its newer, shinier AI will take over the reins from Assistant, and it doesn't seem you'll have a choice in the matter. Related Lenovo Tab Plus review: A surprisingly great budget Android tablet This Android tablet is much better than its price suggests Posts 3 Google Gemini is here to take Assistant's job As posted on Google's blog, The Keynote, under an article titled "The Assistant experience on mobile is upgrading to Gemini," the tech giant details what it's planning with Assistant. With Gemini now booming among the LLM race, Google is getting rid of its older brother, and it doesn't seem like you can toggle between the two: Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores. Additionally, we'll be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini. We're also bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs. The thing is, I did try Gemini as my phone's assistant for a bit, and it didn't have the ability to perform some tasks like set calendar events, alarms, and volume levels. Maybe Google will (or already has) fixed this, but if not, Gemini may actually be a downgrade for people who use Assistant to perform basic phone tasks hands-free. And given how Google likely won't give us an option to use Assistant, I'm not entirely sure what that means for people who want a more Assistant-like AI. If you're happy with using Gemini over Assistant, then now would be an excellent chance to read up on Google's official prompting guidelines. The bad news is, it's about 70 pages long. The good news is, we covered all of the important bits so you don't have to.

Say Goodbye to the Google Assistantâ€"Gemini Is Moving In

Google announced Friday that the Google Assistant is no longer for this world. The company plans to transition most Android devices to Gemini instead. This includes phones, tablets, devices that connect to your phone, headphones, and even the Assistant in the car. The only devices spared will be those limited to 2GB of RAM or that aren't on a compatible version of Android. This is the first official declaration from Google that the Google Assistant is on its way out, but it's not like we weren't expecting it. Gemini is already the default experience on most mainstream Android devices, including Google, Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, and overseas brands. Google also insists that "millions of people have already made the switch," though I would challenge them on how many people did so willingly. I did not, for instance, want to make the change initially. I only acquiesced because I realized I had to evolve with the times if I was going to keep writing about smartphones. I'm triste about this, because this transition from the Google Assistant to Google's Gemini AI has been messy. Watching Google slowly nerf how I've trained myself to interact with my smart home and other Google-led devices has been devastating. I'm thinking about my precious dongle barely holding on in my old car. But I'm also thinking about the Lenovo smart clock I use to wake up every morning and shut off the lights each night. I've contacted Google and the manufacturers of these devices to see what they recommend. I suspect a ton of disappointment expressed in forum posts across the internet as people realize their Google Assistant devices will become paperweights. Who even has paper to hold down anymore? Gemini is a better digital assistant in many ways. It is much more conversational, and you can use it with yourself to talk out thoughts and whatnot. I recently shared a 15-minute video with my colleague that I took of Gemini and me having a back-and-forth about something I was researching. Gemini didn't net the best results at the end of thatâ€"it made me cry a little out of frustration. But I did realize through that experience that the assistants we knew of with the Google Assistant and even Apple's Siri are undergoing the next evolution. Digital assistants were always supposed to be more conversational, personal, and interactive. And now that Gemini has achieved it, Google is ready to roll it out.

RIP: Google Assistant Will Be Fully Replaced by Gemini Later This Year

Google Assistant's days are numbered. Later in 2025, Google officially plans to replace Assistant with Gemini on Android phones. This comes after the company has spent the last year releasing feature updates aimed at bringing Gemini up to par with the much older Google Assistant. The original Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices "later this year." Gemini has already been shipping as the default experience on new Android phones from Google, Samsung, OnePlus, and Motorola. When Gemini first launched on Android, it required a manual opt-in, and the option to switch back to Google Assistant was easy. Google claims that "millions of people have already made the switch" to Gemini. Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores. Additionally, we'll be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini. We're also bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs. We look forward to sharing more details with you in the next few months. Until then, Google Assistant will continue to operate on these devices. If you're still using Assistant, you'll see an upgrade prompt in the coming months. However, if you have a phone running Android 9 or earlier with less than 2 GB of RAM, you'll be able to continue using Google Assistant. Before the final changing of the guard takes place, Google has more work to do on Gemini. The company says it's focusing on improving the "quality of the day-to-day Gemini experience" for people who rely on Google Assistant. You can check Google's progress on adapting Google Assistant features to Gemini right here. It's more than a little strange for a company to preach the good word about AI but then, in the same breath, tell us that it's still working to get up to speed with something that's been around since 2016. Which is the superior product? Related Don't Trust AI Search Engines-Study Finds They're "Confidently Wrong" Up to 76% of the Time We've all heard the warnings: "Don't trust everything AI says!" But how inaccurate are AI search engines really? The folks at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism put eight popular AI search engines through comprehensive tests, and the results are staggering. Posts 4 When Google Assistant launched almost 10 years ago, it was first only available in the Allo messaging app and the original Google Home smart speaker. Eventually, it was built into Pixel phones and many other Android and Wear OS devices. Google continued to pump out smart speakers and smart displays with Assistant as well. Then, in early 2023, after feeling pressure from ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, Google released its strangely-named AI chatbot called "Bard." It was rebranded to "Gemini" in early 2024, which is also when Google started pushing it to Android devices. Google Assistant has been in its crosshairs ever since. Accuracy is a big concern with chatbots like Gemini. A recent study showed that AI chatbots are exceptionally good at being confidently wrong. In Gemini's case, it was partially incorrect or completely incorrect with confidence 74% of the time when asked to simply identify the headline, original publisher, publication date, and URL of a provided article. Soon, this same chatbot will be confidently reciting information to millions of people on Android phones and smart devices. Hold on to your butts. Source: Google

Like it or not, Gemini is officially replacing Google Assistant this year

If Google wants to fill our phones with AI, it needs to give Pixels more storage This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available. Google's push for Gemini over the past year has been clear as day, with Google Assistant's eventual retirement being a question of when, not if. The writing has been on the wall, with Google now officially starting to wind down the 2016-released assistant. After serving our smartphones, tablets, smart home gadgets, cars, and TVs for almost a decade, Google Assistant will join countless other discontinued products and services in Google's graveyard later this year. Related Have you switched from Google Assistant to Google Gemini yet? Gemini is here in full force, and it finally offers a lot of the functionality of Google Assistant while still lacking some of the smoothness Assistant users have come to expect. This creates a situation where many are still using Google Assistant instead of switching over to Gemini. For me, I made the switch soon after Gemini was introduced, but I also never used Google Assistant, so the switch was painless for me. But what about you? Have you made the switch? Was it painful, or do you prefer Gemini? Hit the comments to let us know, as I have a sneaking suspicion there are more holdouts than expected. Posts The tech giant announced the development in a surprise blog post today, clearly highlighting its intentions to move towards generative AI for assistant interactions. According to the tech giant, millions have already made the switch from Google Assistant to Gemini, and it wants to bring the generative AI experience to many more users. As a result, it will begin automatically "upgrading" mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini. Related Are you ready to say "Hey Gemini"? It's looking like Google is gearing up to change the hotword to trigger Gemini AI to "Hey Gemini," which makes sense and almost feels a bit more personal and human compared to "Hey Google." So I like the idea. I hope we switch soon. But what about you? Are you ready to say "Hey Gemini," or do you prefer the old way of saying "Hey Google"? Posts "We believe an assistant should be personal to you, and aware of the world around you. It should be able to interact with the apps and services you already use. And it should make you more productive, more creative and a bit more curious," wrote Google, essentially kicking Google Assistant while it's already down. The tech giant didn't share an exact date, month, or quarter for the change, but it did say that Google Assistant won't be accessible on most mobile devices later this year. Additionally, it won't be available for new downloads either.

Gemini replacing Google Assistant on Android phones later in 2025

Just over a year after its launch and various feature parity updates, Gemini is set to replace Google Assistant on Android phones later in 2025. This follows yesterday's model updates and bringing Deep Research to all users. Google announced today that the "classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices." This will happen "later this year," with users getting a more specific date beforehand. In the coming months, users still on Assistant will see a new upgrade prompt. There will be an exception for phones running Android 9 or earlier and don't have at least 2 GB of RAM, with the existing Assistant experience remaining in place for those users. Google replacing Assistant follows new Android phones, including Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus, and Motorola, launched in the past year making Gemini the default experience. Meanwhile, the company says "millions of people have already made the switch." When Gemini launched in February of 2024, it was lacking many phone assistant capabilities, with Google making the option to switch back to Assistant quite prominent. The Gemini app has worked to address that gap with features like accessing Gemini on the lockscreen and letting it control phone capabilities with Utilities. Before Assistant's sunset, Google is "continuing to focus on improving the quality of the day-to-day Gemini experience, especially for those who have come to rely on Google Assistant." In winding down Google Assistant, the company notes how "natural language processing and voice recognition technology unlocked a more natural way to get help from Google" in 2016. 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 laid its aims with Gemini today, with Astra-powered video and screen sharing capabilities set for this month: We believe an assistant should be personal to you, and aware of the world around you. It should be able to interact with the apps and services you already use. And it should make you more productive, more creative and a bit more curious. Meanwhile, Google today confirmed that Gemini will be coming to watches, cars, tablets, and headphones. We're already seen Gemini take over Google Assistant on Pixel Buds, while we've seen signs of it coming to Wear OS. Google also said it's "bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini" to speakers, displays, and TVs, with more details in the coming months. It's actively in testing on the Nest Mini and Audio, while the TV experience was previewed in January.

So long, Google Assistant. It's Gemini's world now

Google Assistant is officially getting the boot in favor of Gemini. The writing was already on the wall, but now it's official: The Google Assistant era is over. In a blog post Friday, Google announced plans for Google Assistant's final phase-out, starting on mobile and continuing with tablets, cars, and mobile-connected devices such as headphones and tablets. Finally, Google Assistant will be going away on Nest smart speakers and displays as well as on Google TV devices. Google Assistant's replacement will, of course, be Gemini, Google's entry in the generative AI race. Gemini itself will become the new assistant on Google mobile devices such as phones and tablets, while a "new experience powered by Gemini" is coming to smart speakers and displays. The hand-off will occur "over the coming months," Google said, with Google Assistant to get yanked from mobile devices and app stores "later this year." Meanwhile, Google Assistant will "continue to operate" on Nest speakers and displays as well as Google TV devices until the new Gemini-powered "experience" arrives, Google added. Gemini is already well on its way to taking the place of Google Assistant on Google's mobile lineup, where it's become the de facto voice assistant, although vestiges of Google Assistant still remain. Gemini's arrival on Google's lineup of smart devices has been more tentative. Last November, an extension to the Gemini app gave the LLM direct if limited control of Google Home-connected smart devices for the first time. Originally available only in Google's public preview program, the extension has since gone into wide release. By December, Gemini began making its way onto Google's Nest speakers, namely the Nest Audio and Nest Mini, starting once again with Google's public preview program, and only for those subscribed to a paid Nest Aware plan. As of now, access to Gemini on Nest speakers remains quite limited, meaning the vast majority of us Nest device users are still chatting with Google Assistant. First introduced alongside the very first Google Home speaker, Google Assistant originally made its debut in 2016, a couple of years after Alexa arrived five years after Apple's Siri voice assistant. Google Assistant eventually landed on most of Google's prime devices, including phones, tablets, watches, and -- of course -- smart speakers. But with the explosive growth of generative AI and the arrival of Google's Gemini, Google Assistant's role in Google's product line quickly receded. Soon, it was no longer of whether Google Assistant would go away, but when. Meanwhile, Amazon is upgrading Alexa with Alexa+, an all-new version of Alexa powered by a blend of LLMs. Alexa+, which will be free for Prime subscribers and $19.99 a month for everyone else, is slated to make its debut later this month. The "classic" Alexa will stick around, and it will remain free. Then there's Apple, which had a rough week after news broke that Siri's big AI-makeover has been delayed.

Gemini to kill off Google Assistant on most Android phones -- here's what you need to know

Google outlines plans to replace its Google Assistant software with Gemini, but some phones are excluded. Gemini, Google's generative AI assistant and rival to ChatGPT, has become integral to high-end Android phones over the past year, gradually superseding the more basic Google Assistant. Now Google has outlined plans to sunset its original smart assistant entirely, starting with Android phones. "Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devicesor available for new downloads on mobile app stores," wrote Brian Marquardt, senior director of product management for the Gemini app, on The Keyword blog. What does "most" mean? The footnote next to that part lists a fairly major exemption, highlighting that devices that don't meet Gemini's minimum system requirements will maintain access to Google Assistant for the time being. That means devices with less than 2GB RAM or those that run on Android 9 or earlier will be exempt from the forced change for now. That's likely only a factor for older handsets, though. Android 10 was released in 2019, and while there certainly are handsets that have less than 2GB RAM, the best cheap phones meet that requirement and then some. The $199 Motorola Moto G 2025, for example, comes with 4GB, and it runs Android 15. While Google Assistant exists on other devices, there are plans afoot to switch to Gemini there, as well. "Additionally, we'll be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini," writes Marquardt. "We're also bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs," he continued. Plans for this switch will be revealed in the "next few months," but for now, Google Assistant will "continue to operate on these devices." The upgrade for smart speakers -- where Google Assistant made its debut -- is the most exciting. Certain Nest smart speakers can use Gemini, but it's currently in Public Preview and only available to Nest Aware subscribers. With Amazon preparing to unleash Alexa Plus on its Echo devices, the battle for smart home dominance could be about to get serious. To ease worries about the transition, Marquardt outlines the myriad ways in which Gemini can now match Google Assistant's powers on Android. "We're continuing to focus on improving the quality of the day-to-day Gemini experience, especially for those who have come to rely on Google Assistant," he writes. "We've updated the app to support more of the most requested features, such as playing music, setting timers, or taking action from your lock screen." But the main point, of course, is that Gemini is far more intelligent and less rigid than Google Assistant, and it should be able to do a lot more than merely ape the old software's most popular abilities. "Features like Gemini Live for free-flowing, multimodal conversations and Deep Research, which transforms Gemini into a personal research assistant, are only possible with AI -- and we're just getting started," he concludes.

Google Assistant is losing features to make way for Gemini -- here's what's just been axed

AI assistants are getting smarter, but Google's Gemini rollout appears to have claimed a victim: Google Assistant. A little like that scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron where the titular baddie takes over Jarvis, Gemini is coming for its predecessor. It's not just with phones, either. Gemini is even going to make big changes to Nest range of smart home products, with a series of features being cut. Live Translation in Interpreter mode, which allowed for Nest devices to translate in real-time, is gone, while Family Bell and Birthday reminder notifications are going the way of the digital dodo, too. Elsewhere, several other features are being removed as the company switches over to Gemini as its primary assistant of choice. Google Assistant will no longer be able to share photos via voice commands, while you also won't be able to adjust photo frame settings using your voice. Small features, sure, but ones you may have grown to use regularly. If you've been asking for Google Assistant to send you a daily rundown of things like the weather and your meetings, you'll need to set those manually going forward. You also won't be able to use Assistant via Bluetooth or AUX accessories, either. Google launched the Assistant back in 2016 and claims that the time has come to sunset the feature in favor of the new AI hotness. "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," the company said in a blog post. "While our expectations for what an assistant can do are rapidly changing, the mission remains the same." The good news is that these features will almost certainly make a comeback, most likely within Gemini. And if you haven't yet gotten to grips with Google Gemini, here's the seven hacks you need to know to maximise its full potential.

It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over

It's been clear for some time that Gemini is the future of AI assistants as far as Google is concerned, and now it's official: Google Assistant is going to be disappearing from smartphones before the end of the year. In a blog post (via 9to5Google), Google's Brian Marquardt explains: "Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores." If you have a phone that doesn't meet the minimum requirements for Gemini, Google Assistant functionality "will not change at this time" - but as those requirements are at least 2GB of RAM, and Android 10 or older, most users will get the upgrade. Thanks to its generative AI underpinnings, Gemini is much better at chatting and looking up information than Google Assistant, and it's slowly been incorporating all the other tasks that Google Assistant can do on mobile devices. The switchover is now almost done. For now, Google Assistant will continue to operate on devices such as smart speakers, smart displays, and TVs, Google says - but it's only going to be a matter of time before all these pieces of hardware also get the Gemini treatment. As for devices that connect directly to phones - like car dashboards, tablets, headphones, and smartwatches - the implication is that a Google Gemini upgrade is more imminent than it is for Nest Hubs and Nest Minis. "We look forward to sharing more details with you in the next few months," writes Marquardt. The blog post touches on the rapid expansion of Gemini and its capabilities: the AI bot is now available in more than 40 languages across more than 200 countries, and Google says it's been built to carry on the same mission as Google Assistant. No doubt more upgrades to Gemini are on the way in the months ahead. "We've updated the app to support more of the most requested features, such as playing music, setting timers, or taking action from your lock screen," writes Marquardt.

Gemini is replacing Google Assistant. How will the shift affect you?

Table of Contents Table of Contents What devices are moving to Gemini? How are things changing with Gemini? Why is this a better deal? The writing has been on the wall for a while, but the shift away from Google Assistant is now official. Google has announced that it will shift users to Gemini as the default AI assistant on their devices in the coming months. Once that happens, they will no longer be able to access the Google Assistant. At the moment, you can switch to Google Assistant as the default option on your Android phone, even on newer phones that come with Gemini running out of the box. In addition to phones, Google will be giving a similar treatment to smartwatches, Android Auto, tablets, smart home devices, TVs, and audio gear. Recommended Videos "We're also bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays, and TVs," says Google, without sharing a specific time frame for the transition. What happens to Google Assistant following the transition? Well, it will be removed from devices and will no longer be available to download from app stores. Talking about apps, Gemini can already interact with a wide range of Google's own as well as a few third-party apps. Users can ask it to perform chores across different products, without ever having to open those apps. In addition to in-house apps such as Docs, Drive, and Gmail, the Gemini assistant can also perform tasks in third-party apps such as WhatsApp and Spotify, alongside a bunch of Samsung apps. Please enable Javascript to view this content What devices are moving to Gemini? Gemini will support a majority of the features that are currently available with Google Assistant. The fundamental Google Assistant capabilities, such as controlling smart home devices, accessing the virtual assistant from the Lock Screen, routines, song detection, and messaging will be available with Gemini. A healthy bunch of them have also been enhanced for Gemini to offer a better experience. For example, Gemini can better handle tasks such as dealing with Reminders, events, and lists, tackling queries related to Google Maps, Google Drive, enquiring about YouTube videos, awareness of on-screen context, and more. Following is the broad list of comparability for devices that will be upgraded to Gemini in the coming months: Phones with at least 2 GB RAM. Android 10 or a later version. iPhone running iOS 16 or a newer version. The virtual assistant on your headphones will match the one currently installed on your phone. An exception will be the budget-centric Android Go phones, which run a simplified and pure Google-only experience of the operating system. No brand has launched an Android Go phone in years, and the whole project is effectively dead, so it's not surprising that Gemini is not moving ahead for these devices. How are things changing with Gemini? Let's start at the basic level. In case you are concerned about any change in the activation hotword, there is no reason for concern here. The "Hey Google" vocal cue will continue to work as the hotword for summoning Gemini, just the way it worked for Google Assistant. For devices that haven't been transitioned to Gemini, using the "Hey Google" hotword will summon the Google Assistant without any feature limitations. In order to make the switch seamless, especially in terms of familiarity for users, Google will also be porting over some of the user data from Google Assistant to Gemini. Assuming users have already provided the necessary on-device permissions, Gemini will automatically get access to details such as calls and messaging history. "We will use some preferences and history from Google Assistant when we upgrade your device to Gemini," says Google in a support document. Thankfully, users won't be running into a functional wall. In the coming months, Gemini will also take a look at your Search history to give more personalized answers. Down the road, it will be able to interact with Photos, too. Why is this a better deal? Gemini is almost a fundamental upgrade over Google Assistant, down to the foundation tech stack. Where Google Assistant was an AI product built atop natural language understanding capabilities, Gemini stands out as a natural language chatbot that is capable of language understanding as well as reasoning. Unlike Google Assistant, Gemini is more like a knowledge bank that has been trained on a whole corpus of information and works offline for a wide range of on-device tasks. It can handle free-flowing conversations in multiple languages, but where it reigns supreme is its understanding of various input formats. For example, you can upload a PDF file and Gemini will break it down for you. It can accept pictures, text, audio, and even live video as an input format. In technical terms, it is called multi-modal processing. Gemini is also capable of image generation. Talking about comprehension capabilities, Gemini can solve complex science, maths, and coding-related problems -- the kind of stuff Google Assistant can't handle. In the coming months, with the rollout of Project Astra, Gemini will also be able to understand the world around you, as seen through the camera in real-time. But there are a few other features that go far beyond what Google Assistant could ever accomplish. For example, the newly free Deep Research tool can perform comprehensive web research and create a full-fledged report in a matter of minutes, a task that would otherwise take hours of internet search and documentation. Then we have Gems, which is essentially a user-generated custom version of the Gemini assistant, trained to perform a certain task. Any person can create these Gems, without any coding knowledge, and by using only natural language instructions. So far, Gems and Deep Research have been limited to paying subscribers, but Google made them available to all users for free in March this year. Another notable aspect of Gemini is that it comes in multiple formats, each with its own set of capabilities. Google Assistant was more of a one-size-fits-all approach. With Gemini, users can pick between models based on the complexity of the task at hand. For example, if you want it to answer questions based on a 200-page book you uploaded, the "Pro" model is the best choice. Otherwise, the "Flash" model is snappy and capable enough for your average virtual assistant tasks. In a nutshell, Gemini is a massive upgrade over Google Assistant, both in terms of sheer capabilities as well as versatility. And if you own a high-end phone that can run the Gemini Nano model natively, the AI assistant will handle tasks like live translation without even requiring an internet connection.

Your Google Assistant just lost a bunch of features ahead of the move to Gemini

We've only just learned that Google Assistant is being replaced with Gemini, and now, it turns out that some features are being quietly retired as a result. Some will be available as part of Gemini, but devices that don't yet have access to Google's latest AI companion may not have an immediate replacement. Here's what's going away. As spotted by 9to5Google, Google Assistant will lose a total of seven features, and this will affect Android, Nest Hub, and Nest speakers users. Recommended Videos For starters, you will no longer be able to favorite, share, and ask where your photos were taken by using voice controls. Google suggests that you can still favorite and share them in the Google Photos app; seeing where they were taken requires a Smart Display or tablet. You also won't be able to change photo frame settings or ambient screen settings with voice controls, but again, Google says you can still do this in Smart Display settings. Please enable Javascript to view this content One thing that many people might be sorry to see go is live translation. Google Assistant will no longer translate live conversations with interpreter mode. A small consolation is that translating single words and phrases will still work, but no longer in live conversation mode. A couple of things are being moved to Routines. You won't be able to schedule or hear Family Bell announcements or get daily updates from Google Assistant. Those things will now need to be set up as Routines. On the other hand, you can't get birthday reminders through Routines anymore, and will instead need to ask your Assistant to remind you about important birthdays. Lastly, Google Assistant will no longer be available on car accessories that use a Bluetooth connection or an AUX plug. These may not sound like major losses across the board, but undoubtedly, some devices will feel the loss more than others. The move to Gemini is still being rolled out, and as a result, certain devices may not have an immediate replacement for the things that Google Assistant will no longer support.

The Assistant experience on mobile is upgrading to Gemini

We believe an assistant should be personal to you, and aware of the world around you. It should be able to interact with the apps and services you already use. And it should make you more productive, more creative and a bit 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. 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. Millions of people have already made the switch from Google Assistant to Gemini, and they are telling us how helpful the new, AI-powered features are in their daily lives. So we want to update you on how we'll bring this enhanced experience to as many people as possible. Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores. Additionally, we'll be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini. We're also bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs. We look forward to sharing more details with you in the next few months. Until then, Google Assistant will continue to operate on these devices. Since launching last year, we've expanded access to the Gemini app and it is now available in over 40 languages and more than 200 countries. Meanwhile, we're continuing to focus on improving the quality of the day-to-day Gemini experience, especially for those who have come to rely on Google Assistant. We've updated the app to support more of the most requested features, such as playing music, setting timers, or taking action from your lock screen. But Gemini's capabilities go far beyond the Google Assistant, and it can also provide an entirely new kind of help. Features like Gemini Live for free-flowing, multimodal conversations and Deep Research, which transforms Gemini into a personal research assistant, are only possible with AI -- and we're just getting started.

Here's Why (and When) Gemini Is Replacing Google Assistant

When it comes to digital assistants, especially on mobile, there are really two most people think of: Siri and Google Assistant. (Sorry, Bixby.) Just as Siri is Apple through and through, Google Assistant is synonymous with Android for me (even if you can download Google Assistant on iPhone). But it appears Google Assistant's time is coming to an end, and faster than you might think. Google announced in a blog post on Friday that the company is switching more users from Google Assistant to Gemini "over the coming months," before retiring its iconic assistant later this year on most devices. That includes not just the built-in assistant on most Android devices, but also downloads on app stores -- so iPhone users won't be able to download Google Assistant, either. Why the sudden retirement party for Android's version of Siri? Well, there's a new player in town, whether or not it's actually ready for primetime. Goodbye, Google Assistant In case you missed it, Google is all-in on Gemini, the company's generative AI assistant. Gemini, formerly Bard, is both a generative AI model, like OpenAI's GPT models, and an assistant, like ChatGPT. As such, Google can offer Gemini as a tool for users to rely on for traditional assistant tasks, while routinely upgrading it with the company's latest AI models. Like other big tech companies, Google is rolling out these new AI models at a steady clip, which means Gemini is constantly receiving upgrades. Google Assistant, on the other hand, is not. If you don't care for generative AI, or haven't found Gemini all that reliable, you might be disappointed by this latest announcement. But it isn't necessarily a surprise. Google has signaled this was the plan for a while now. Since its launch, Google has started rolling out Gemini to more users, either as a built-in solution on Android, or as a standalone app, pushing users to try it out over Google Assistant. In fact, the company quickly began allowing Android users to replace Google Assistant with Gemini, even when Gemini lacked basic assistant features like setting alarms or integrating with your calendar. If you wanted the full assistant experience, Google Assistant was still the way to go. Of course, that wouldn't stay the case forever. Google kept adding to Gemini, while actively limiting its legacy assistant. The company started removing Google Assistant features over a year ago, and continues to do so to this day. But why replace Google Assistant with Gemini? In Google's view, Gemini is simply the better all-around solution. It now offers previously missing assistant features, like playing song requests and setting timers, but also includes the company's latest AI features, like Gemini Live, which gives Gemini access to your camera to answer questions about your surroundings, and Deep Research, which uses a "reasoning" model to "think" through each step of a problem before solving it. The service has expanded to support more than 40 languages in over 200 countries, so it is now widely available -- just as Google Assistant once was. In theory, it makes sense: New tech replaces the old, and Gemini happens to be the new tech in the game. The problem is, there are still tons of issues with generative AI, issues companies like Google have struggled to stamp out. While Google has added assistant features to Gemini, users continue to report the bot has trouble with basic tasks, such as opening specific apps, setting reminders, or changing smart lights a certain color. The only devices that won't make the switch are those that can't meet the Gemini device requirements, which include those with fewer than 2GB of RAM and running Android 9 or older. If you want to keep using Google Assistant into 2026, you're going to need a very old Android.

Google Assistant Just Lost Seven More Features

The slow retirement of Google Assistant continues as Gemini prepares to take over. It's been clear for some time that the Gemini AI app would be replacing Google Assistant, once it had learned all the necessary tricks and been granted all the required hooks into other apps. Now, Google is in the process of actively dismantling the features available in Google Assistant ahead of its retirement. As per Google's official support document (as spotted by 9to5Google), seven more Google Assistant features have recently been pulled across Android devices and Nest smart speakers and displays. These deactivated features add to a bunch of other capabilities that were taken away last year. On smart displays, you can no longer use your voice and Google Assistant to favorite, share, or ask where and when your photos were taken, or to access photo frame settings. You'll now need to delve into Google Photos or the options panel on your smart display to get at this information. Another Google Assistant capability that's going away across devices is interpreter mode, where you can have a conversation translated in real time. It's still available in the Google Translate app, though you can't yet do this with Gemini. When it comes to Google Assistant Routines, you can no longer get birthday reminders as part of a Routine. Google is also taking away daily updates and Family Bell announcements from Google Assistant, pointing users towards Routines instead. And finally, Google Assistant is being pulled from car accessories that work via Bluetooth or an AUX plug. Google says this is all part of "prioritizing the experiences you love and investing in the underlying technology to make them even better" while retiring "underutilized features" -- but considering we just received an official announcement that Google Assistant is going to be replaced by Gemini on phones before the end of 2025, there's not going to be much investing in the older AI app from this point on. As long as your phone meets the minimum requirements of 2GB of RAM and Android 10 or later, Google Assistant will be switched off in the coming months, and you'll be pointed toward Google Gemini instead (which has already replaced Google Assistant on newer phones such as the Google Pixel 9). Google also says new Gemini-powered experiences are coming to other devices, including smart speakers and TVs, in the "next few months." The switchover on these other gadgets may take longer, but it'll happen eventually -- and it probably makes sense to start using Gemini as much as possible, where you can. There's still a lot of maintenance work for Google to do here: Routines, for example, let you group a bunch of actions with a single Google Assistant voice command, and there's no sign yet of the functionality appearing in Gemini. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see more Google Assistant features deactivated in the coming months.

It's Official: Google Assistant is Dead, Replaced by Gemini

We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. More info. We knew this would happen at some point, but I'm still not sure anyone (including Google) is ready - Google Assistant is going away this year with Gemini taking its place. Google made the announcement today, confirming that Gemini is the future of your on-device personal assistant. At some point "later this year," Google will kill off the classic Google Assistant, making it no longer accessible on "most" mobile devices, with apps for it disappearing from app stores. No specific date was yet given, but the beginning could easily start around Google I/O in May. Google's plan is to put Gemini on your phones as its AI-powered assistant going forward. This has been an option for some time now, but it will become the only on-device assistant option this year. Your phones won't be alone either. Google is going to bring Gemini to tablets, cars, smartwatches, and headphones. Even your smart home devices, like Nest Hubs and speakers and TVs and displays, will all move over to some sort of "new experience" powered by Gemini. For those smart devices, Google plans to share more information "in the next few months." As it stands for now, Google Assistant is still powering those. Google still has some time to turn this Gemini experience into a true assistant, one that can do all of the old Google Assistant tasks and then some. After all, isn't AI supposed to be super neat and cool and smart and powerful? Show us what you've got, Google, and I don't mean by constantly telling us over and over again that Gemini is great for doing research. Most of us don't need a research assistant. We need an assistant that actually manages our day. Anyways, mini rant over, say "Goodbye!" to Google Assistant in 2025.

Google confirms removal of Google Assistant from all mobile devices

TL;DR: Google is replacing Google Assistant with the AI-based Gemini on mobile devices by the end of the year. Devices need at least 2GB of RAM and Android 10 for the upgrade. The classic Assistant will remain for devices not meeting these requirements. Google has finally confirmed what most people were thinking: Google Assistant is being replaced by artificial intelligence. The company has confirmed via a new blog post that over the coming months, Android users on mobile devices will begin getting upgraded to the new and improved version of Google Assistant, Gemini. The classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices nor be downloadable from mobile app stores. The change is scheduled to take place before the end of the year, and devices will need to meet the minimum requirements for the Gemini upgrade, which is at least 2GB of RAM and at least Android 10. Google Assistant will remain available for users who don't have a device with more than 2GB of RAM and are using a version of Android earlier than 10. Google officially discontinuing Assistant on newer Android devices comes only after a year of Gemini being available as an option, and according to Google, millions of users have already made the switch over to the new AI-based assistant. "Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores. For those who have a mobile device that doesn't meet the minimum system requirements to run Gemini, Google Assistant functionality will not change at this time," states Google

Google Confirms that it's Phasing Out its Assistant Soon - Phandroid

We suppose it had to happen at some point - with Google prioritizing development for its AI software products - especially its flagship Gemini model and assistant - the company recently stated that it will soon move more users from Google Assistant to Gemini in the coming months. Part of Google's official announcement reads: Over the coming months, we're upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores. Google adds that it will upgrade other devices such as tablets, smart auto systems and other compatible IoT hardware to Gemini in the coming months. Until then though, Google says that users will be able to keep using Google Assistant on their devices. READ: Gemini Users can now Add Events to their Calendar from Gmail While Gemini's initial launch as an Assistant on Android devices was somewhat rocky especially when it came to device commands, Google has since improved the user experience by offloading certain commands to Google Assistant from Gemini. With this upcoming change however, we're still yet to see how seamless the transition will be.

Gemini Will Soon Replace Google Assistant in Android Smartphones

Google is also bringing a Gemini-powered experience for home devices Google is now upgrading the virtual assistant experience for Android smartphone users to Gemini. Announced on Friday, the Mountain View-based tech giant is now slowly retiring Google Assistant in favour of the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant Gemini. The company said that the shift will be made over the next few months as more devices are shifted to Gemini as the sole assistant from Google. The tech giant is also planning to upgrade tablets, Android Auto, and devices that connect to smartphones such as headphones and earphones to Gemini instead of Assistant. Gemini AI assistant has been available to Android smartphone users for a while now. Users on compatible devices could choose the chatbot to be the default virtual assistant and access its enhanced capabilities. However, it was available as an option, with users given the choice to continue to use Google Assistant in case they preferred the legacy assistant experience. However, going forward, that choice is being taken away, and users will only have Gemini as the default virtual assistant on Android devices from the company's side. They can, of course, opt for any third-party virtual assistant as well. In a blog post, Brian Marquardt, the Senior Director, Product Management, Gemini app at Google, announced that the company is now upgrading Android smartphone users to Gemini. He highlighted that Google Assistant was launched in 2016 to offer a voice-based interaction to users. However, now the company is reimagining the experience with "AI at its core" to offer a more personalised assistant. The company says more users on mobile devices will be upgraded from Google Assistant to Gemini over the coming months. Later this year, the tech giant will make the legacy assistant inaccessible on most devices, and the assistant will not be available to download on app stores. The virtual assistant will likely be kept only on those devices that do not support any AI features. Google also plans the same course of action for its entire ecosystem. Marquardt stated that tablets, devices running Android Auto, and devices that connect to the smartphone such as headphones and watches will also be upgraded to Gemini. A new AI-powered Gemini experience is also being introduced to Android home devices such as speakers, displays, and smart TVs. More details about the transition will be shared in the next few months.

Google Assistant on mobile is upgrading to Gemini

Google has announced it is transitioning mobile users from Google Assistant to Gemini, an AI-powered upgrade designed to provide smarter assistance. Brian Marquardt, Senior Director of Product Management for the Gemini app, said that when Google Assistant launched in 2016, advances in natural language processing and voice recognition made interactions with Google more seamless. "Nearly a decade later, we're experiencing another platform shift -- this time, generative AI is reshaping how we engage with technology," he added. Marquardt emphasized that Gemini redefines the assistant experience with AI at its core, aiming to remain "the world's most helpful assistant." He noted, "While our expectations for what an assistant can do are evolving, the mission stays the same." Marquardt explained that millions have already switched to Gemini and find its AI-driven features valuable in daily life. To expand access, Google will upgrade more mobile users to Gemini over the coming months, he said. Later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer function on most mobile devices and will be removed from app stores. For users with devices that don't meet Gemini's system requirements, Google Assistant will continue working for now. The Gemini mobile app is available on: Google also plans to bring Gemini to tablets, cars, and connected accessories like headphones and watches. A Gemini-powered experience will also roll out to home devices, including speakers, displays, and TVs. Marquardt noted that further details will be shared in the coming months but assured, "Until then, Google Assistant will continue to operate on these devices." Since launching last year, Gemini has expanded to over 40 languages and more than 200 countries, Marquardt said. The team continues refining the experience, especially for users accustomed to Google Assistant. Recent updates have introduced frequently requested features, such as playing music, setting timers, and performing actions from the lock screen. Beyond that, Marquardt highlighted that Gemini surpasses Google Assistant's capabilities. Features like Gemini Live, enabling fluid, multimodal conversations, and Deep Research, which transforms Gemini into a personal research assistant, showcase AI's growing potential. "And we're just getting started," he added.

Google To Replace Free Assistant With Paid-For Gemini AI Tool

Disclaimer: This content generated by AI & may have errors or hallucinations. Edit before use. Read our Terms of use Google has confirmed in a blog post that its long-standing Google Assistant will be phased out later this year, making way for Gemini as the default AI assistant on Android devices. The transition marks a significant shift in Google's AI strategy, as one of the Gemini versions follows a subscription-based model, unlike the free-to-use Assistant. While Google presents this as an upgrade to a more advanced AI, it can effectively be viewed as a monetisation move that could restrict access to once-free features. Google's Justification: Evolution or Monetisation? When Google Assistant launched in 2016, it revolutionised voice-activated assistance with natural language processing. However, with the rapid advancements in generative AI, Google now claims that Gemini represents the next leap in AI-powered interactions. In the blog post, Brian Marquardt, Senior Director of Product Management for Gemini, said, "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." Despite the company's framing of Gemini as an improvement, the introduction of a paid tier raises concerns. Unlike Assistant, which was universally available, Gemini Advanced's premium features will eventually be locked behind a paywall, reflecting a broader industry trend where AI services are becoming increasingly monetised. Impact on Devices and Users The transition will affect a wide range of devices. Google will upgrade smartphones, tablets, cars, watches, and other accessories connected to Gemini. Google has also confirmed plans to integrate Gemini into home devices, including speakers, displays, and TVs. However, Google Assistant will continue to function on devices running on Android 9 or earlier, and devices equipped with less than 2GB of RAM, offering a limited reprieve for users who may not be ready to switch. For the past year, Google has gradually rolled out Gemini as the default AI on select OnePlus, Vivo, and Samsung devices, allowing users to revert to Google Assistant if they preferred. But, with this latest announcement, Google is removing that flexibility, signalling its full commitment to its AI-powered chatbot. Clues from Google's Earnings Call Google's recent earnings call sheds light on the underlying motivations behind this shift. Company executives repeatedly highlighted AI as a key revenue driver, with a focus on monetising advanced AI models. The call also pointed to an increased emphasis on AI-based subscription services, reinforcing the notion that Gemini's rollout is not just about innovation, but also about boosting Google's bottom line. The Bigger Picture: AI's Changing Landscape Google's decision mirrors a broader industry pattern. Competitors like OpenAI and Microsoft are also charging for AI-powered services, gradually shifting from free accessibility to paid models. As AI technology advances, tech giants are betting that users will be willing to pay for premium AI capabilities rather than relying on free alternatives. The retirement of Google Assistant in favour of Gemini represents more than just a technological upgrade -- it signals Google's evolving business model. While Gemini promises enhanced AI-powered assistance, the move raises concerns about accessibility and the growing commercialisation of AI. Read More: