Gemini to take over as Google phases out Google Assistant on Android

Google Gemini

In the last few months, Google has been making a massive push to make Gemini do a lot more on Android phones. Now, the company has announced that Gemini will replace Google Assistant as the default digital assistant on Android phones. “Over the coming months, we’re upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices,” said Google in a blog post.

Google also made it clear that for those who have a mobile device that doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements to run Gemini, Google Assistant functionality will not change at this time. It will remain available for download on app stores.

Google also said that it will be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to users’ phones, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini. “We're also bringing a new experience, powered by Gemini, to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs,” said the company. Till then, Google Assistant will continue to operate on these devices.

Why is Google replacing Assistant?

As per Google, when Assistant was launched in 2016, natural language processing and voice recognition technology unlocked a more natural way to get help from Google. “Nearly a decade later, we’re in the midst of another platform shift — this time, generative AI is transforming the way we interact with technology,” said the company.