- Gemini will take longer to reach all Android devices
- After that, Google Assistant stops working
- No specific deadline in 2026 has been mentioned
You may recall that back in March, Google declared that its shiny new Gemini AI app would take over from Google Assistant on Android devices by the end of 2025. In a new update, Google now says that the process will continue into 2026.
The latest announcement (via 9to5Google) explains that the previous timeline will be adjusted to ensure “a seamless transition” between the old AI and the new AI, and that more details will be shared in the coming months.
There is no firm deadline for the extension, all we know is that work will continue “into 2026”. We get no mention of specific devices still waiting for the transition, or of any particular bugs that need to be sorted.
Of course, on newer devices like the Google Pixel 10, there’s only Gemini, and no sign of Google Assistant, but on many 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 complete next year, Google Assistant will stop working on all Android phones and tablets and will no longer be available to download. From then on, it should be Google Assistant for everyone.
This is a process that also happens across all other devices and platforms as you may have noticed. It looks very likely that Gemini will be the default assistant for everyone on Android Auto by March 2026, for example.
Google is also busy switching all of its smart home devices to Gemini, with gadgets dating back 10 years eligible for the swap. This isn’t going quite as smoothly as Google would like, a sign of how technically challenging all of this is.
The difficulties Google has had with smart home devices may also have contributed to the delay on Android. If you’re still using Google Assistant on an Android phone or tablet, you can continue to do so a little longer.
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