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Google is officially dropping Assistant just a few months before its 10th anniversary

The writing has been on the wall for so long.

By Aman Kumar

Published: Nov 24, 2025, 6:55 AM

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Google Assistant screen on an Android smartphone.

We now have an official timeline for when support for Google Assistant will end, and it's sooner than you might expect.

Gemini to replace Google Assistant

Google Assistant was released in May 2016 and since then, it has been a part of most Google products and the Android ecosystem in general. You can find it on Android smartphones, Wear OS devices, smart home gadgets, Android Auto, and more. Just say "Hey Google," and the assistant will pop up to help you with your query.

Undoubtedly, Google Assistant was a great innovation when it was launched. However, it now feels somewhat outdated compared to other assistants that incorporate AI capabilities. Google Assistant can only respond to fixed voice commands, whereas AI-powered assistants provide more conversational, contextual, and intelligent interactions.

To keep up with competitors like Siri and Alexa, the Big G is replacing Google Assistant with its primary AI: Gemini. Until now, Google had offered users the option to choose between Gemini and Google Assistant as their personal helper. However, an Android Auto support page mentions that after March 2026, Google Assistant will no longer be available, eventually making Gemini the only assistant on your device.

Gemini is replacing Google Assistant on most mobile devices. Learn more about what you can do with Gemini, privacy, protection of minors and availability for supported devices, languages and territories. Gemini will understand the same commands as Google Assistant and also give you the option to speak naturally. Google Assistant is still available for use until March 2026.

Brick by brick, Google Assistant is nearing its end

Google Assistant is activated on an Android smartphone.

"Google Assistant in action on an Android smartphone. | Image by PhonArena

Gemini, initially known as Google Bard, has been a top priority for Google ever since its launch in 2023. Just a year after its release, the search giant made Gemini the default assistant on smartphones. Then, at the beginning of this year, Google started deprecating some of the key Google Assistant features.

For instance, Google stripped away the Google Assistant's ability to use your voice to adjust your photo frame or ambient screen settings. In total, six more similar features were also removed from Google Assistant. However, you can now perform all these actions more easily using voice commands with Gemini. I wouldn't be surprised if Google removes a few more Assistant features before D-Day arrives.

Do you prefer Gemini over Google Assistant?

It's time to say goodbye

Once Google Assistant Live comes to an end next year, you'll be left with Gemini as your personal assistant on your smartphone and other Android devices. Gemini is definitely much better than Google Assistant in many areas.

I often use Gemini on my Pixel 10 whenever I'm planning a trip. All I have to do is launch Gemini, provide basic details about the trip, such as its duration and my budget, and Gemini prepares an itinerary within seconds. However, you can't expect the same experience with Google Assistant. If you ask it to prepare an itinerary, you'll most likely get a response like, "Here's what I found on the web."

That said, Gemini isn't perfect at the moment. Many users have reported facing issues with Gemini, especially on Google Home. Among all the reported problems, the main complaint is that Gemini sometimes struggles to execute even simple commands, such as turning the lights on or off. It's not that Google Assistant never had similar issues, but since Gemini is considered an upgraded version of Google Assistant, you would expect it to avoid at least the same basic problems.