Google has officially announced the date of Assistant’s departure – it will be replaced by Gemini

For nearly a decade, millions of Android devices have been running Google Assistant voice assistant. In recent months, however, the company has been increasingly obvious in promoting Gemini as the new digital assistant, pushing Assistant out across platforms — from Android smartphones and Android Auto to Wear OS and Google TV. Now Google has revealed exactly when Assistant will cease to work.

A banner (spotted by an Assemble Debug member) has appeared on the official Android Auto support forum, stating that Google Assistant will function on Android «until March 2026». This is the first and clearest indication of a timeline for the closure of Assistant. In the same notice, Google assures users that «Gemini will understand the same commands as Google Assistant and allow you to speak in natural language».

Gemini will understand the same commands as Google Assistant and allow you to speak in natural language.

For many Android device owners, especially those who use Google Home, the moment is symbolic. The transition from Assistant to Gemini on smart home devices isn’t going perfectly — a portion of users still find Assistant more convenient. Still, Assistant’s disappearance was expected, as Google is actively rebuilding the entire ecosystem around Gemini.

Assistant’s disappearance was expected as Google is actively rebuilding the entire ecosystem around Gemini.

Google Assistant debuted in May 2016 — first in the Allo messenger and Google Home speaker, before becoming an integral part of Android smartphones. It has become one of the most important products in Google’s consumer lineup, spreading to phones, watches, TVs, cars, and many other devices.

Now that the company is switching completely to Gemini, Assistant’s nearly decade-long history is coming to a close. For now, Android users can still choose between the two assistants, but it looks like that option is about to disappear.