Over a year ago, Google told us that Gemini would be replacing the Google Assistant. Well, we finally have an official date for when Gemini will replace Google Assistant on mobile devices such as Android and Wear OS. The date is September 4, 2026.
What Google said. Google sent out an email to some users saying:
- “As we transition our mobile experience to Gemini, Google Assistant will no longer be available on your mobile device.”
- “We will begin removing access to Google Assistant starting on 4 September, and expect that this process may take a few weeks to reach everyone.”
- “Once availability is removed, you will no longer be able to use or switch back to Google Assistant on your phone, tablet or paired devices.”
Devices impacted. This is impacting mobile devices to start, including devices paird with your mobile device such as:
- Watches running Wear OS
- Headphones or earbuds compatible with Gemini
- Vehicles running Android Auto projected from a user’s mobile device. For cars with Google built-in, Google Assistant will continue to function beyond 4 September 2026.
The email. A copy of the email can be found on Reddit and I stitched it together for you to read:
Why we care. Again, this comes as no surprise but no we finally have an official date for the move. This may lead to more AI-based brand visibility for you and your clients but it may be too soon to tell.
It will be interesting to see how searcher behavior changes as both Gemini replaces Google Assistant on Android devices and the new Siri, Apple Intelligence, also powered by Gemini, replaces the old Siri with iOS 27 this coming September.