Google says Gemini will replace Assistant on phones in 2026

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Google has a habit of announcing the future with great confidence and then quietly clearing its throat a few months later. 

That’s more or less what’s happening with its plan to replace the aging but dependable Google Assistant with its shiny new AI brain, Gemini. 

The swap is still very much on, but it’s no longer racing toward the finish line. 

Instead, Google has decided to stretch the transition all the way into 2026, giving Assistant a longer-than-expected retirement party.

Back in March, Google pitched this as a bold new chapter for phones. 

The old Assistant, built mostly to take orders, was going to make way for something smarter, an AI that could reason, hold conversations, and understand context instead of just reacting to keywords. 

The message was clear: Gemini would arrive fast, Assistant would fade out, and your phone would suddenly feel a lot more futuristic.

But it turns out this isn’t a simple name swap. Gemini isn’t just “Assistant, but cooler.” Google sees it as a full-blown rethinking of how AI lives on your phone. 

It can chat more naturally, answer complex questions, and even pull together information across apps. 

Features like Gemini Live and research-style responses show how far beyond “set a timer” this thing is aiming to go.

That ambition may be exactly why Google is slowing down. 

While Gemini has already shown up on platforms like Wear OS and Android Auto, the company wants the mobile transition to feel seamless. 

A low-key update to Google’s support pages now says the move from Assistant to Gemini will roll on through 2026, not wrap up in 2025 as originally hinted.

For regular Android users, this means no sudden goodbyes. 

Assistant will keep handling alarms, calls, and quick questions. Curious users can try Gemini today by downloading the app, but nobody’s being forced into the future just yet.