Almost exactly ten years ago, Google introduced Assistant, a tool that users could chat to with their voice to undertake a variety of tasks. It has since made its way across a variety of devices powered by Google’s Android operating system, from phones to TVs and smart home devices.
Last year, however, Google announced that it would retire Assistant and its associated app. Instead, it would direct users towards Gemini, which serves much the same purpose and makes use of more up-to-date artificial intelligence tools.
Now, Google is writing to users to tell them that they will soon no longer be able to use that app and should switch to Gemini instead. “We're writing to let you know that the Google Assistant on your mobile device is being discontinued, and Gemini – our next-generation Al-powered assistant – is now the assistant experience on Android,” an email sent to users reads.
The email warns users that Google will start removing access to assistant from 4 September, though it says the change will start on that date and says that the entire process may take “a few weeks”. After that happens, however, the Assistant feature will no longer be available.
After that – and as long as a device meets minimum system requirements and is in a region where Gemini is available – the phones will switch to using Gemini. That will mean that long-pressing the power button or saying “Hey Google” will call up the newer version of the virtual assistant instead, for instance.
The change will also apply to other devices, such as smart watches and earphones, that are paired with the device.
Gemini should still be able to do the same tasks as Assistant, and understand the same commands. But Google stresses in a message on its support page that it uses more up-to-date AI technology, so that users can for instance speak more naturally to the phone and have it understand.
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