Google Assistant begins shutting down on Android and Wear OS September 4

Google confirmed this week that it will begin removing Google Assistant from mobile devices starting September 4, 2026, completing a transition to Gemini that the company first signaled would happen by the end of 2025 before pushing the timeline back. In an email sent to existing users, Google stated that "Google Assistant is going away on mobile devices" and that Gemini, described as the company's "next-generation AI-powered assistant," is now the assistant experience on Android.

The removal process begins September 4 but Google says the rollout "may take a few weeks to reach everyone." Once Assistant access is removed from a given device, users will not be able to switch back — the change is permanent for that hardware. The deprecation applies to Android phones and tablets running Android 9 or later with at least 2GB of RAM in supported regions, and extends to paired devices including Wear OS watches, compatible headphones and earbuds, and vehicles using Android Auto projected from a connected phone.

What Isn't Changing Yet

Google Assistant will keep functioning past September 4 on a specific set of device categories: smart speakers, smart displays, Google TV, and cars with Google's built-in software rather than phone-projected Android Auto. Google says Gemini is still being rolled out to those platforms and did not give a firm timeline for when Assistant support there will end. It also remains unclear when the docked Pixel Tablet — which relies on a different interaction model than handheld use — will receive Gemini.

A Delayed and Cautious Rollout

Google originally planned to complete this transition by the end of 2025 but extended the timeline into 2026, reportedly to give Gemini more time to reliably handle core Assistant tasks like setting timers and playing music — the kind of basic, high-frequency requests where a regression would be immediately noticeable to users. As of this announcement, a "Switch to Google Assistant" option still exists within the Gemini app, though it will stop working once Assistant is formally removed from a device.

Why the Migration Matters

Google Assistant has been the default voice interface on Android since 2016, and the underlying question for the hundreds of millions of devices affected is how cleanly existing routines, custom voice commands, and third-party integrations built for Assistant will carry over to Gemini. Google has not detailed the automatic migration process for those personalized configurations, leaving that as an open operational question for users approaching the September cutoff. The move also formalizes Gemini's position as Google's flagship consumer AI product, extending its footprint from the standalone app and search integrations into the core voice-assistant role across the Android ecosystem.