In March 2025, Google revealed that Gemini AI would be taking the place of Google Assistant on the majority of Android devices, excluding those operating on Android 9 or earlier, or those with less than 2 GB of RAM. A few months later, it disclosed that Gemini would be integrated into Google Home, gradually replacing the previous Assistant software. This announcement wasn’t surprising, as it became evident the prior year that Google Assistant’s time was limited when Gemini started assuming tasks for Android applications like Google Messages and Spotify. During the announcement, Google executive Brian Marquardt expressed a goal to extend Gemini to as many users of the company as possible.
This may be disheartening for Assistant enthusiasts who favor it over Gemini for its straightforwardness, but the rationale for its phasing out is understandable. Google’s pioneering two-way virtual assistant debuted in 2016, a time markedly different for AI. At that time, Assistant was lauded for offering more reliable answers than its rivals, but a decade later, those virtual assistants and board game champions seem quaint compared to platforms like ChatGPT and Claude.
Gemini is set to replace Assistant
There’s no denying that Google Gemini is considerably more advanced than Google Assistant. As an extensive language model (LLM), it’s crafted to grasp more natural language and handle a wider array of complex tasks, such as managing your email or evaluating options for car rentals and flights. However, this increased intricacy and enhanced language abilities can lead to errors and misinterpretations.
Users on Reddit who have transitioned to Gemini have expressed their dissatisfaction, citing issues such as absent features and the chatbot delivering unnecessarily complex answers to straightforward inquiries. Some have even mentioned on Google’s support forum that they might consider switching to iPhone due to their aversion to Gemini. Like other technology, there are also apprehensions related to utilizing Google Gemini, including ambiguities surrounding privacy concerns and how AI biases could affect responses. Numerous AI specialists remain skeptical of AI chatbots, which have been observed to hallucinate, and Google’s AI Overviews have made remarkably bizarre errors, such as instructing users to apply glue on pizza.
For those reluctant to part ways with Google Assistant just yet, the positive news is that Google is delaying the retirement of the software longer than anticipated. Although the company initially indicated that Assistant would be discontinued by the end of 2025, a December 2025 update mentioned that it was extending its transition into 2026. For now, Android users can still alternate between Assistant and Gemini, but be aware that once you switch to Gemini on Google Home, reverting is not an option.