Overview
- Google announced that the legacy Google Assistant will be deactivated on mobile phones, tablets and devices paired to phones beginning September 4, 2026, with the Gemini AI becoming the default assistant on eligible Android devices.
- The company says the switch will roll out over subsequent weeks and may take time to reach all users, and Gemini will only activate on devices that meet minimum system requirements and are in regions where Gemini is supported.
- Devices that rely on a phone projection of Android Auto, Wear OS watches and compatible headsets will lose the legacy Assistant when the change reaches the phone, while cars with Google natively integrated and many smart TVs and speakers will keep the Assistant temporarily.
- Google frames the move as an evolution to a single, generative-AI assistant that can handle both classic tasks like calls and reminders and newer capabilities such as longer-form conversation and content generation.
- The change continues a migration that began in March 2025 and follows the Assistant's 2016 launch, and users should expect a mixed experience during rollout as some hardware and regions gain Gemini sooner than others.