New Delhi, 09/08: Google has announced that it will gradually remove its popular Google Assistant service from Android devices. The process will start from September 4. The company is replacing Google Assistant with its AI assistant Gemini as the primary assistant.
In an email sent to users, Google said that access to Google Assistant will be gradually removed from September 4. The process may take a few weeks to reach all users. After this change is implemented on any device, users will not be able to use Google Assistant on their Android phones, tablets or connected devices. There will also be no option to re-enable it.
Which devices will be affected?
This change will not be limited to Android phones or tablets. Wear OS smartwatches, some headphones and vehicles using Android Auto via a connected smartphone will also be affected by this change. However, Google Assistant will not be completely removed from all platforms. It will continue to be supported on cars with Google built-in, Google TV devices and Google Home speakers and smart displays.
Why is Google shutting down Google Assistant?
Google is now focusing more on its Gemini AI. The company aims to provide an even better and smarter assistant experience based on generative AI. Google first announced plans to transition from Google Assistant to Gemini in March 2025. At the time, the company said that millions of users had already migrated from Google Assistant to Gemini. Google had previously planned to shut down Assistant by the end of 2025. But the transition was pushed back for a while to allow for some of the remaining Google Assistant features to be added to Gemini. However, Gemini does not yet support all of Google Assistant’s features.
