The era of artificial intelligence Google Assistant is definitely coming to an end. Google has confirmed that from 4. 9. 2026 will begin to phase out support for its long-standing voice assistant on Android phones and tablets. It will be replaced by Gemini, which will become the only default AI assistant in the company's mobile ecosystem.
The change has gradually begun to take effect, but for now, users still had a choice and could opt out of Gemini revert to the default Assistant. However, this will not be possible from September. However, Google warns that the shutdown will not happen all at once. It will be gradual and may take several weeksbefore it reaches all supported devices. But once it is Google Assistant disabled on a specific device, it will not be possible to return to it or turn it back on.
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It's not just about phones
The end of Google Assistant won't just affect smartphones. The same change is also coming to:
- Android tablets,
- smart watch with Wear OS,
- compatible headphones using Google Assistant,
- cars using Android Auto.
The exception is cars equipped with the system Google built-in. In those will be Google Assistant work even after 4. 9. 2026, because Google has not announced any end of support date for this yet. Which is a bit strange, but it can be expected that it will be replaced soon Gemini here too.
Gemini becomes a new center
This move is not surprising. Google has been fully developing for several months now. Gemini, which is gradually taking over the role of the classic voice assistant. It's not just a name change. Gemini is built on modern generative AI models, it can handle more natural conversation, understands better more complex requirements and can work with broader context.
Google also confirms that Gemini will not be limited to phones, tablets and smartwatches. It is already quietly making its way into devices with Google TV or until smart speakers a Google displays HomeFor example, it remains an open question Pixel The tablet in dock mode, where the company has not yet specified a transition date.
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The end of an Android era
Google Assistant was introduced in 2016 and over the years it has become one of the most prominent parts of Android. It offered voice control of the phone, smart homes, navigation and a whole range of applications. However, with the advent of generative artificial intelligence, its importance gradually began to decline and all its shortcomings became apparent. Google could have fixed them and improved it, but it had no reason to do so – it preferred to bet all its cards on Gemini.
Assistant was originally supposed to end at the end of the year 2025However, Google later pushed the timeline back, giving users more time to transition. It's still in the app now. Gemini possible to switch back to Google Assistant, but this option will definitely disappear after the start of the September shutdown.
For Android users, this is one of the biggest changes in recent years. Google This clearly shows that the future of its ecosystem is built on generative artificial intelligence. Gemini thus becomes not only a substitute for Google Assistant, but also the main interface for communicating with Android, Google services and other smart devices.
