- Gemini will take longer to reach all Android devices
- After that, Google Assistant will stop working
- No specific deadline in 2026 has been mentioned
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.
Technical challenges
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.
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