Google starts swapping Gemini Gems for stackable skills in Workspace

Google announced on September 30, 2026 that it will roll out skills — reusable, stackable custom instructions for Gemini — to Workspace starting October 5, 2026 and to the Gemini app starting October 13, 2026, with both rollouts expected to complete by mid-November. Skills will eventually replace Gems: Gems move to the Gemini app Settings panel on November 17, 2026, and no sooner than March 1, 2027 business and enterprise users lose the ability to create, edit or use Gems, with education users following no sooner than June 1, 2027. Skills do not currently sync between the Gemini app and Workspace apps, so users must recreate each skill separately in both, and existing Gems must be recreated as skills.

September 30, 2026 Introducing skills in the Gemini app and Workspace, plus what’s next for Gems Gemini app https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/gemini/automate-tasks-with-skills/ and Google Workspace https://workspace.google.com/blog/product-announcements/teach-gemini-your-teams-know-hows-with-skills-in-google-workspace . Over the coming weeks, skills will roll out to Workspace users and eventually replace Gems as the tool for tailoring instructions for specific tasks. What are skills? Skills https://workspace.google.com/learning/report/content/skills-in-gemini-101 are reusable, custom instructions that you can leverage any time you’re prompting Gemini in the Gemini app and most Workspace apps. For example, you can create a brand voice skill to help you draft blog posts or a lesson planning skill to save time with class prep. You can even use multiple skills in the same prompt or at different points in the conversation. AI skills 101 handbook https://workspace.google.com/learning/report/content/skills-in-gemini-101 . Educational institutions should leverage our Gems transition guide for education https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gemini gems skills transition guide.pdf . For a comprehensive list of resources, see the bottom of this post. Note: Currently, skills do not sync between the Gemini app and Workspace apps. If you want to use a skill across both platforms, you must create it separately in each. Create and use skills in the Gemini app Use skill builder in Google Docs to craft and share new skills with your team How do skills differ from Gems? What happens to Gems? recreate your Gems as skills in the Gemini app https://support.google.com/gemini?p=gems to skills . Because skills in the Gemini app won’t automatically appear in Workspace, you’ll also need to recreate them in Workspace https://support.google.com/workspace-studio/answer/17307546 if you want to use them in Workspace apps. Key dates - October 5, 2026: Skills begin rolling out in Workspace, with an expected completion by mid-November. - October 13, 2026: Skills begin rolling out in the Gemini app, with an expected completion by mid-November. - November 17, 2026: Gems move to the Settings panel of the Gemini app, but users can continue to create, edit, and use them. - No sooner than March 1, 2027 business and enterprise only : Gems can no longer be created, edited, or used, and they’re removed from the Settings panel of the Gemini app. Flows in Workspace Studio with the Ask a Gem step stop working. Any remaining Gems in the Gemini app are auto-migrated to draft skills in the Gemini app. - No sooner than June 1, 2027 education only : Gems can no longer be created, edited, or used, and they’re removed from the Settings panel of the Gemini app, as well as Google Classroom and third-party LMS’ supported by Gemini LTI™. Flows in Workspace Studio with the Ask a Gem step stop working. Any remaining Gems in the Gemini app are auto-migrated to draft skills in the Gemini app. Getting started - Admins: - Encourage your users to start creating skills and inform them of key dates for the Gems transition, based on the type of Workspace licenses in your organization see key dates above . Visit the Help Center to view our comprehensive Gems migration guide https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/p/gems-migration , and stay tuned to the Workspace Updates blog for more details throughout the transition. - For educators using Classroom or Gemini LTI™, we recommend transitioning to Gemini Notebook currently available and Guided Learning coming soon to Classroom for personalized student learning and support. Learn more in the Gems transition guide for education https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gemini gems skills transition guide.pdf . - End users: - Visit the Help Center to learn more about skills in Workspace https://support.google.com/workspace-studio/answer/17307546 and skills in the Gemini app https://support.google.com/gemini?p=b ws skills , migrating Gems in the Gemini app to skills https://support.google.com/gemini?p=gems to skills , and how the Gems transition to skills impacts Workspace Studio flows https://support.google.com/workspace-studio?p=gems transition . - Education users can check out the Gems transition guide for education https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gemini gems skills transition guide.pdf to learn more. Google Classroom users can also explore our guidance on creating https://support.google.com/edu/classroom?p=teacher notebook gems&utm source=gemini and using https://support.google.com/edu/classroom?p=student notebook gems&utm source=gemini teacher-led AI experiences directly in Classroom. Rollout pace - Skills in the Gemini app - Rapid and Scheduled Release domains https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/releases/choose-when-users-get-new-features : Gradual rollout starting on October 13, 2026, with expected completion by mid-November, 2026 - Skills in Workspace - Rapid Release domains https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/releases/choose-when-users-get-new-features : Gradual rollout starting on October 5, 2026, with expected completion by October 12, 2026 - Scheduled Release domains https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/releases/choose-when-users-get-new-features : Gradual rollout starting on October 19, 2026, with expected completion by mid-November, 2026 Availability - Skills in the Gemini app - Available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts - Skills in Workspace - Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus - Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus - Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education - Other Add-ons: AI Expanded Access Note that skills in Workspace are available only to users over age 18; skills in the Gemini app will be available to users of all ages. Resources - Workspace Blog: Teach Gemini your team’s know-hows with skills in Google Workspace https://workspace.google.com/blog/product-announcements/teach-gemini-your-teams-know-hows-with-skills-in-google-workspace?e=48754805 - News from Google Blog: Let skills in Gemini tackle your most repetitive tasks https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/gemini/automate-tasks-with-skills/ - Workspace Handbook: AI skills 101: Customizing AI from Google for your role https://workspace.google.com/learning/report/content/skills-in-gemini-101 - Workspace Admin Help: Allow people to use skills in Studio and Gemini in Workspace https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/admin/studio/turn-skills-on-or-off - Workspace Studio Help: Learn how skills work in Google Workspace Studio https://support.google.com/workspace-studio/answer/17307546 - Gemini Apps Help: Create & manage skills for Gemini Apps https://support.google.com/gemini?p=b ws skills - Workspace Admin Help: About the transition from Gems to skills https://knowledge.workspace.google.com/p/gems-migration - Workspace Studio Help: How Gems transition to skills impacts Workspace Studio flows https://support.google.com/workspace-studio?p=gems transition - Education Transition Guide including alternative teacher-led AI tools : Gemini Gems Transition Guide for Education https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gemini gems skills transition guide.pdf - Google Classroom Help: Create and assign Gemini Notebook & Gems in Google Classroom https://support.google.com/edu/classroom?p=teacher notebook gems - Google Classroom Help: Use Gemini Notebook & Gems in Google Classroom for students https://support.google.com/edu/classroom?p=student notebook gems - Google Workspace LTI™ Help: Share and access notebooks & Gems https://support.google.com/edu/assignments/answer/16450994?hl=en&ref topic=15672744&sjid=1653399867789429450-NC