Google will replace its Android phone Google Assistant with Gemini later this year, the company announced Friday.
In a blog post, Google said it will upgrade more users from Google Assistant to Gemini “over the next few months.” Later this year, assistants will be available to most mobile devices and app stores.
“In addition, we will upgrade tablets, cars and devices that connect to mobile phones such as headphones and watches to Gemini,” the company added. “We bring new experiences with Gemini to our home devices, such as speakers, displays, and televisions.”
Google said it will share details with users in the coming months, and up until then, its assistants will continue to operate on the aforementioned devices.
Google points out that it works to improve the Gemini user experience before the assistant's wind, especially for users who rely on a variety of assistant features. For example, Google has added some highly requested features to Gemini on Android devices, including the ability to play music, timer support, and the option to perform actions directly from the user's lock screen.
It's not surprising that the move to drop an assistant in favor of Gemini. It's not surprising, especially considering that Google launched the Pixel 9 smartphone line with Gemini as its default virtual assistant. Google points out that Gemini has more advanced features than assistants (at least in theory) and offers new ways to get help and information about topics through tools like Gemini Live and Deep Research.