Overview
- Google has begun emailing users to say it will start a phased replacement of Google Assistant with its AI model Gemini on September 4, 2026, with the rollout continuing over several weeks.
- Once a device is switched to Gemini users cannot revert to Google Assistant, and invoking the assistant by saying “Hey Google” or holding the power button will launch Gemini instead of Assistant.
- The change covers smartphones, tablets, Wear OS watches and supported paired headphones or earbuds, but devices that do not meet Gemini’s minimum requirements or are in unsupported regions will remain on Assistant for now.
- Google has paused development of AI Studio and moved planned Android app functions into Gemini, centralizing AI features but leaving uncertainty about whether Gemini will fully replicate system-level actions that currently require extra permissions.
- Gemini has had broad device access to apps and chats since July 2025 unless users disabled it, which means deeper integration raises practical privacy and permission questions that will affect how the assistant can control settings, smart‑home devices and private data.