Google will shut down Assistant on Android phones and tablets beginning on September 4 and will migrate affected accounts to Gemini as the default assistant.
The company said the change will extend beyond phones, moving paired devices such as smartwatches, headphones, and cars that rely on a phone to Gemini and that most smart home devices have already made the switch.
Google warned the migration will occur over several weeks and that once an account or device is moved users will not be able to use Assistant or switch back to the old system.
The cutoff follows an earlier plan to retire Assistant at the end of 2025 that was delayed while Google refined Gemini’s capabilities.
Ars Technica notes the practical change to people’s interactions: Gemini “calls tools to complete tasks” and supports extended conversation, which can make brief voice commands feel less predictable than the old Assistant calls tools to complete tasks.
The transition arrives amid wider turbulence in Google’s A.I. ranks, described as a shakes up A.I. leadership, including reports that Hassabis steps down and departures that include Jeff Dean.
Google says other platforms such as Android-powered TVs and vehicles with Google built-in will move to Gemini later, but no date has been set for those rollouts.
