Google Assistant shutting down on Android and Wear OS in September

Google LLC announced that Google Assistant will be discontinued on Android and Wear OS devices starting September 4, 2026, with the transition to its Gemini AI assistant. The company sent emails to users stating that Assistant is being removed from phones, tablets, Wear OS watches, headphones, and Android Auto projected from mobile devices, though cars with Google built-in will retain Assistant beyond that date. Google originally planned the shutdown for end of 2025 but extended it to 2026.

As expected https://9to5google.com/2025/12/19/google-assistant-gemini-2026/ , Google Assistant is going away in 2026, and the company just provided a September 4 date for Android. Google sent an email to existing users today about how “Google Assistant is going away on mobile devices.” Officially, Assistant is “being discontinued” and that “Gemini — our next-generation AI-powered assistant — is now the assistant experience on Android.” The company will start removing Google Assistant access on September 4, but “this process may take a few weeks to reach everyone.” Once availability is removed, you will no longer be able to use or switch back to Google Assistant on your phone, tablet, or paired devices. Besides mobile devices, this deprecation also applies to Wear OS watches, headphones, and “vehicles running Android Auto projected from a user’s mobile device.” For cars with Google built-in, Google Assistant will continue to function beyond September 4, 2026. Today’s announcement does not apply to other form factors yet, though Google mentioned that Gemini is coming to Google TV devices and Google Home speakers and smart displays. It remains to be seen when the docked Pixel Tablet will get Gemini. We are committed to providing a smooth transition and are confident that Gemini will offer you an even more capable and helpful assistant experience This deprecation was originally set for the end of 2025 but was later extended to 2026. At the moment, “Switch to Google Assistant” remains an option in the Gemini app. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. https://9to5mac.com/about/ affiliate our homepage http://9to5google.com/ for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on exclusive stories https://9to5google.com/feature/exclusive/ , reviews https://9to5google.com/guides/reviews/ , how-tos https://9to5google.com/guides/how-to/ , and subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/9to5google