Gemini won't replace Google Assistant on Android until 2026

Google has postponed its plan to replace Google Assistant with Gemini on Android devices, extending the transition timeline into 2026. The company originally promised to complete the upgrade by the end of 2025 but is now adjusting its schedule to ensure a smoother migration for users.Google announced the delay through its official Gemini Apps community forum, citing the need for a "seamless transition" as the primary reason for pushing back the deadline. With less than two weeks remaining in 2025, Google acknowledged that more time is needed to properly upgrade Assistant users to the AI-powered Gemini platform across mobile devices. Google Assistant first launched in 2016 and has served as the company's primary voice assistant for nearly a decade. However, with the rise of generative AI, Google announced in March 2025 that Gemini would replace Assistant on most mobile devices, marking a significant shift in how users interact with their Android phones and tablets.Once the transition is complete, Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on devices that meet Gemini's minimum requirements—Android 10 or later with at least 2GB of RAM. The standalone Google Assistant app will also be removed from mobile app stores.While the mobile transition faces delays, Google has successfully rolled out Gemini to other platforms, including Wear OS smartwatches, Android Auto, and Google Home devices. The company recently introduced features allowing users to make phone calls, set timers, and send messages through Gemini without mandatory AI training data collection.Google promises to share more details about the revised rollout timeline in the coming months, though no specific 2026 deadline has been announced.