Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has apparently started emailing users to announce that Google Assistant will begin disappearing from Android phones on September 4.
- As per the email, the process will take place over several weeks, after which users won’t be able to switch back to Google Assistant.
- The emails follow Google’s previous confirmation that Assistant will be replaced by Gemini over the course of this year.
Google has previously confirmed that Assistant would remain available on Android until March 2026. While that earlier update established the overall timeline for Assistant’s retirement, this email provides the first specific date for when users will begin losing access on their phones.
According to the email, Google will begin removing access to Google Assistant starting September 4. The process will take place over several weeks following that date. Once the change is applied to a device, users will no longer be able to use Google Assistant or switch back to it on their phone, tablet, or paired devices.
Instead, Gemini will become the default assistant experience on supported Android devices. Users invoking the assistant with “Hey Google” or by long-pressing the power button will launch Gemini instead of Google Assistant.
The email also explains that the transition extends beyond phones. If you use Gemini as your mobile assistant, it will also become the assistant experience on compatible paired devices, including Wear OS watches and supported headphones or earbuds.
Google is also displaying a new banner on its Assistant support pages. The notice says Gemini is replacing Google Assistant on most mobile devices, can handle the same commands while allowing more natural conversations, and promises additional details as Google works toward a “seamless transition” to Gemini throughout 2026.
Google previously announced that Gemini would replace Google Assistant across Android phones, tablets, cars, watches, TVs, and other devices. Since then, the company has steadily expanded Gemini’s capabilities while retiring Assistant features. The newly sent emails suggest Google’s mobile migration is now entering its final phase.
Users whose devices don’t meet Gemini’s minimum requirements or live in unsupported regions may continue using Google Assistant until Google’s broader retirement timeline concludes.
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