Google confirms Gemini will replace Google Assistant – Full roadmap explained

Google’s timeline to replace its existing Google Assistant with a new Gemini AI assistant has changed, with the tech giant now stating the transition to Gemini will be complete through 2026. Google has been vocal about its plans to eventually make Gemini its de facto intelligent assistant, but that was initially expected to happen by the end of 2025.

At the start of 2025, Google shared plans to fully replace Assistant with its generative AI model, Gemini, by the end of 2025. Google has confirmed to The Verge that the end date has been pushed back to 2026. “To ensure a seamless transition for users, the complete transition to Gemini will be phased through 2026,” a Google spokesperson said. “Assistant will continue to be supported on Android devices until that transition is complete, with an expected sunset for Assistant on mobile in March 2026.”

Gemini will be the new default assistant for Google products

Google’s Gemini features have already started appearing on Android smartphones, Wear OS smartwatches, Android Auto in cars, and Android smart home speakers and displays, with Assistant integrations beginning to be phased out in some cases.

Gemini (seen below) is the new artificial intelligence model from Google. It’s powering a new AI assistant that will eventually replace the existing Google Assistant on Android devices. The Gemini AI assistant started to appear on some products in the past few months and will be coming to all supported Google products by 2026.

The Gemini Next-Gen Google Assistant for Google Pixel phones

Google Gemini AI system made its official debut on Google’s official YouTube channel on Wednesday. And, Gemini, which also powers new, intelligent features for ChatGPT rival Bard, marks a significant step up from the current Assistant’s rule-based design, offering more natural conversations and deeper context.

The current assistant, Assistant, is based on a set of rules. But Gemini will go beyond this to enable more advanced interactions. Gemini has access to your calendar, including reminders, and when asked to search for something, Gemini will start searching. Gemini’s language model, based on deep learning, allows for a much more conversational and contextual assistant.

The original plan was to have the transition to Gemini complete by the end of 2025, but now we know that will not be the case. The change in strategy will see Google take things at a slower pace to allow for a more seamless transition to Gemini by 2026.

“The Gemini Assistant is coming in 2026. Starting this year, the Gemini Assistant will be the default assistant on your Pixel phone and your Android phone, and all your devices that support Google Assistant – from phones and tablets to watches and speakers and displays. We want you to get used to Gemini sooner. We’ll bring it to some devices this year,” a Google spokesperson said.

Google now sees 2026 as the end date for its Assistant to be replaced by Gemini on smartphones and tablets.

In other words, while Gemini features are available now on select Android smartphones, by 2026 Gemini will be the default assistant for all new smartphones and tablets that support the Google Assistant. The shift to Gemini as the next-generation Google Assistant will also start to roll out on smart home speakers and displays, in addition to being integrated into Wear OS smartwatches and Android Auto.