Google Assistant retirement on Android starts September 4 as Gemini takes over

Google will begin removing Google Assistant from Android phones, tablets, Wear OS watches, headphones and Android Auto starting September 4, 2026, replacing it with Gemini as the default assistant. The company disclosed the timeline in an email to users.

The rollout will take several weeks to reach every device. Once it arrives, users can no longer use Google Assistant or switch back to it; Gemini takes over as the default assistant. Cars with Google built-in are exempted and keep Assistant beyond the September date.

Google’s own support pages confirm it is moving Assistant users to Gemini during 2026, but they do not state the September 4 start date, which comes from the user email rather than a formal announcement. That gap leaves the exact timing softer than a hard cutover, and Google has said the rollout will be gradual.

The switch retires one of Google’s most widely used products and turns a voice-command layer into a generative-AI assistant. Gemini answers more open-ended questions but can be slower and less predictable for simple tasks like setting timers or controlling smart-home devices, the friction points existing Assistant users are most likely to feel.

The open question is how the handoff performs on older and lower-end hardware, where Gemini’s heavier models may struggle. Whether Google holds the September 4 start or the timeline slips as the rollout widens is the thing to watch.