Recently, Google announced the retirement plan for its voice assistant, Google Assistant, on its official blog, stating that the service will cease operations on March 31, 2026, and enter a phase of functional migration. The new voice assistant, Gemini, will fully take over Android, Wear OS, Chrome, and smart speakers. Users can manually switch through settings, and the transition period will last until the end of the first quarter of 2026.
According to Google's schedule, Gemini will gradually take over multiple functions. By December 2024, Gemini will become the default assistant, handling high-frequency commands such as voice searches, alarms, calendars, and smart home control. In June 2025, Nest series smart speakers and displays will also be fully updated with Gemini, supporting more natural language interaction and continuous conversations.
In January 2026, the Google Assistant app will be removed from the Play Store and App Store, and the server will finally be shut down on March 31, 2026, with all devices being forced to switch to Gemini. Notably, Gemini has significant advantages, supporting context understanding of up to 1 million tokens, capable of performing cross-app tasks and screen understanding. In contrast, Google Assistant is limited to basic voice commands and device control, and no further updates will be made to its new features.
Regarding the impact on users, devices running Android 10 and above will automatically update the Gemini plugin, while Wear OS and Chromebooks will also receive synchronized updates. Smart speaker users, however, need to manually confirm the migration; otherwise, they will not be able to activate it starting in April 2026. Google stated that users' historical data and personalized settings can be imported into Gemini with one click, ensuring a consistent user experience.
Key Points:
🌟 Google Assistant will officially retire on March 31, 2026, with its functions migrating to Gemini.
📅 Gemini will handle high-frequency commands by default in December 2024, and Nest speakers will fully support it in 2025.
🔄 Users' historical data and settings can be imported to Gemini with one click, ensuring a smooth transition experience.
