Google kills Assistant on Android, Gemini takes over Sept 4

Google Assistant's reign on Android is officially ending. According to an email sent to users and reported by 9to5Google, Google will begin removing access to Google Assistant on all Android phones, tablets, and paired devices starting September 4th. The rollout may take a few weeks to reach everyone, but once removed, users will no longer be able to switch back to Assistant. This applies to Wear OS smartwatches, headphones, earbuds, and Android Auto. Only cars running Google built-in retain Assistant access for now, and Google Home and Google TV devices remain unaffected.

The move solidifies Gemini as the sole AI assistant on Android. Google had previously planned to kill Assistant on mobile devices in 2025, but delayed the shutdown. Now, the execution is confirmed. If your device meets minimum requirements and you're in a region where Gemini is available, that's your only assistant. If not, you'll likely lose assistant functionality entirely. This marks the end of an era for the voice assistant that launched in 2016 and became a staple feature on billions of devices, now joining Google's long list of sunset products. Users who prefer Assistant's faster, simpler responses have no official migration path or opt-out, making this a forced transition.