Your Android phone is not losing Google Assistant this year

Google plans to completely replace Google Assistant with Gemini. That is a reality that most of us have learned to accept at this point since the tech giant's confirmation back in March this year.

Google says that Gemini is the future, though that future seems to be arriving slightly behind schedule.

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Google Assistant is all but retiring this year

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By  Taylor Kerns

When Google first announced that it would be 'upgrading' all users from Google Assistant to Gemini, it said that it would do so before 2025 concludes.

"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 or available for new downloads on mobile app stores," is what Google said back in March.

2025 is coming to a close in less than two weeks, and instead of stepping on the accelerator, Google seems to be pumping the brakes.

In a new support post, the Search giant announced that it is softening its transition plans (via Android Authority).

More information to come next year

We’re adjusting our previously announced timeline to make sure we deliver a seamless transition, and will continue our work to upgrade Assistant users to Gemini on mobile devices into 2026.

The tech giant also indicated that it'll have more to share about its plans in the coming months, suggesting that we won't have a clear picture of the post-Google Assistant landscape until a few months into 2026.

The tech giant did not share a precise timeline, and neither did it share an exact reason for the delay. Instead, it simply said that the delay would help it deliver a "seamless transition" experience. It is likely that the Gemini experience still needs fine-tuning before it's forced upon every Android user, and that's the main reason behind pushing the final transition date.

It's worth noting that this delay relates to mobile platforms, including your Android smartphone, your WearOS watch, and compatible earbuds. The shift does not impact Gemini for Google Home devices, which remain on a separate track.