The signs had been clear for some time, but now it’s official: The Google Assistant era has come to an end.
In a blog post on Friday, Google confirmed plans for the final phase-out of Google Assistant, beginning with mobile devices and gradually extending to tablets, cars, and mobile-connected accessories like headphones and tablets. Ultimately, Google Assistant will also be removed from Nest smart speakers, displays, and Google TV devices.
Taking its place is Gemini, Google’s generative AI-powered assistant. On Google’s mobile devices, including phones and tablets, Gemini will serve as the new assistant. Meanwhile, a “new experience powered by Gemini” is set to arrive for smart speakers and displays.
This transition will unfold “over the coming months,” according to Google. Google Assistant will be removed from mobile devices and app stores “later this year,” while it will “continue to operate” on Nest speakers, displays, and Google TV devices until the Gemini-powered update rolls out.
On mobile devices, Gemini has already started replacing Google Assistant, becoming the primary voice assistant across Google’s ecosystem—though some remnants of Google Assistant still linger.
The shift to Gemini on Google’s smart devices has been more gradual. Last November, a Gemini app extension allowed the LLM to directly, albeit in a limited capacity, control Google Home-connected smart devices for the first time.
Google Assistant and GeminiInitially available only through Google’s public preview program, the extension has since been widely released.
By December, Gemini began making its way onto Google’s Nest speakers, starting with the Nest Audio and Nest Mini. However, access was initially limited to users subscribed to the paid Nest Aware plan and available only through Google’s public preview program. As of now, most Nest device owners are still interacting with Google Assistant rather than Gemini.
Google Assistant was first introduced in 2016 alongside the original Google Home speaker, arriving two years after Alexa and five years after Apple’s Siri. Over time, it became a staple across Google’s ecosystem, appearing on phones, tablets, watches, and, of course, smart speakers.
However, with the rapid rise of generative AI and the launch of Google’s Gemini, Google Assistant’s prominence quickly diminished. It soon became a question not of whether Google Assistant would be phased out, but when.
Meanwhile, Amazon is forging ahead with an upgraded version of Alexa called Alexa+, a new iteration powered by a mix of large language models. Alexa+ will be free for Prime subscribers and cost $19.99 per month for everyone else. It is expected to launch later this month, while the “classic” Alexa will remain available at no cost.
Then there’s Apple, which faced a setback this past week following reports that Siri’s long-awaited AI revamp has been delayed.
