For the longest time, Google Assistant was the bot to beat. While those of us in the Apple ecosystem have struggled to get Siri to follow our commands, Google Assistant could answer almost any query you had. It led the charge on conversational AI, which let you ask a follow-up without needing to restate the original question in full. I’ve never been one to rely much on assistants, but I’ll admit that I’ve wished Siri could be a bit more like Google Assistant over the years.
Of course, Google Assistant isn’t Google’s assistant of choice these days. Since March of 2024, the company has let users swap out Google Assistant for Gemini, Google’s flagship AI platform. Then, just one year later, the company officially replaced its popular bot with Gemini across its platforms and services. Google didn’t outright kill off Google Assistant then and there; you’ve been able to use it if you wish, but it did say it would require Google Assistant at some point in 2025. 2025 has come and gone, and Google Assistant is still here, but that won’t be the case for long.
Google Assistant has an official end-of-life date
As reported by 9to5Google, Google Assistant will officially begin shutting down on Friday, Sept. 4. The company alerted some Google Assistant users via email, letting them know that Google Assistant is being discontinued, and Gemini, “our next-generation AI-powered assistant,” is now the official Android assistant. On that date, Google says it will begin removing access to Google Assistant from devices, though it may take “a few weeks to reach everyone.” That means you may still have access to Google Assistant through the third week in September, though you could lose access at any point.
This Google Assistant end-of-life doesn’t just apply to Android smartphones and tablets. Google says it will also revoke its legacy assistant from Wear OS watches, headphones, and Android Auto—at least when the feature is powered by the user’s smartphone. Google says that “Google built-in” cars will still be able to use Google Assistant after Sept. 4.
Which devices will Google Assistant still work with?
At this time, Google TV devices and Google Home speakers and smart displays still have access to Google Assistant. However, in some cases, it seems you cannot revert back to Google Assistant if you choose to use Gemini on your device.
