Google reveals the date when we will say goodbye to Google Assistant

If you're like me and have used Gemini as an AI assistant on your Android device, you've said goodbye to Google Assistant a while ago. The digital assistant always beat out rivals like Siri, Cortana, and Alexa in third-party tests and was considered the most accurate of the assistants at the time. The Google Assistant also finished first in comprehending queries.

Google Assistant was the smartest of the digital assistants

For example, one of the last tests was conducted by Loup Ventures in 2019 during which Google Assistant understood all 800 questions and answered an amazing 93% correctly. Siri understood 99.8% of the queries, but answered 83.1% correctly. Amazon's Alexa nearly matched Google Assistant with a 99.9% comprehension of the questions asked, but only answered 79.8% of the questions with the right answer.

Which assistant do you like the best?

The previous year, 2018, accuracy scores were down across the board as Google Assistant led with an 86% accuracy score followed by 79% for Siri and a rather disappointing 61% for Alexa. The 2019 test was conducted over an iPhone running iOS 12.4, a Pixel XL powered by Android 9 Pie, and Alexa was tested using the iOS app.

Google tells users that Google Assistant is saying "bye" on September 4

Now, Google Assistant users (myself included) are receiving an email that says "Google Assistant is going away on mobile devices," or if you want to use the official jargon, Google Assistant is being discontinued. Google says that the process of removing Google Assistant will start on September 4, giving you nearly a month to get your affairs in order. Google does note that this process could take weeks to reach everyone.

Screenshot of Google&#039;s email detailing the end of Google Assistant.

Screenshot of email sent by Google revealing the end of Google Assistant. | Image by PhoneArena

Google wrote, "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." This is important, and if you use Google Assistant regularly, you should start getting yourself acquainted with Gemini.

Your Android device needs to meet these system requirements to run Gemini

If your Android device runs Android 9 and up, and has at least 2GB of RAM, and you are in a supported region (check the list on this support page) you will be able to use Gemini as a replacement for Google Assistant. To access the AI assistant, you will use the same "Hey Google" hotword used with Google Assistant. The Gemini AI assistant has a much wider range of knowledge than Google Assistant and if you use Gemini as your assistant, it will set alarms and timers and allow you to dictate and send texts.

Also starting September 4, Google will also start removing Google Assistant from Wear OS watches, headphones, earbuds, and vehicles running Android Auto sourced from the user's mobile device. There is one exception. Cars with Google built-in will be able to access Google Assistant beyond September 4. Google has plans to add Gemini to other devices including Google TV devices and Google Home speakers and smart displays.

Google Assistant was supposed to say bye at the end of last year

The Alphabet unit originally planned to put the kibosh on Google Assistant at the end of last year, but a decision was made to keep Google Assistant alive until sometime in 2026, and on September 4, that time will have arrived.

Google Assistant was unveiled on May 18, 2016 at Google I/O. It made its first appearance inside Google's Allo messaging app on September 21, 2016. Google Assistant's hardware launch came in October 2016 with the release of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL handsets.

The next February, third-party handsets running Android 6.0 and higher included Google Assistant. Three months later, in May 2017, the Google Assistant standalone app was released for iOS. The Android version of the app hit the Play Store in October 2017.

If you want to check out Gemini while hanging on to Google Assistant until September 4, you can install the Android version of the Gemini app by tapping on this link. Just because you have an iPhone and Siri is getting closer to matching Gemini's intelligence (as of the latest iOS 27 beta update), you still might want the Gemini iOS app as a backup. You can install it from the App Store by tapping on the link.

Gemini is a great AI assistant so if you are an Android user, you should be happy to say goodbye to Google Assistant and hello to Gemini on September 4.

If you liked this article, you need to check these out:

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