TLDR
- Google Assistant will be replaced by Gemini starting September 4, 2026, on Android phones, tablets, Wear OS, and Android Auto
- The switch will happen gradually over several weeks and cannot be reversed once complete
- Gemini reached 950 million monthly active users in Q2 2026, with daily users tripling year over year
- Gmail is ending its “Send as” feature for third-party accounts like Yahoo, Outlook, and Hotmail in January 2027
- Gmailify, which brings Gmail features to third-party inboxes, will also shut down in January 2027
Google is making two major changes that will affect billions of users worldwide. The company is retiring Google Assistant in favor of its newer AI tool, Gemini, and is also cutting several Gmail features tied to third-party email accounts.
Starting September 4, 2026, Google will begin rolling out the switch from Google Assistant to Gemini on Android phones, tablets, Wear OS watches, headphones, earbuds, and vehicles using Android Auto. The rollout will take several weeks.
Once the transition is done on a device, users will not be able to go back to Google Assistant.
Why Google Is Making the Switch
Google first announced plans to move users from Google Assistant to Gemini in March 2025. Senior Director of Product Management Brian Marquardt said millions of users had already made the switch voluntarily.
Gemini is built to handle more than basic voice commands. It can generate content, answer follow-up questions, summarize information, and work across Google’s apps and services.
Google Assistant, launched in 2016, was designed for simple tasks like setting reminders, checking the weather, and controlling smart home devices. Gemini, introduced in 2023, is built for longer, more complex conversations.
The Gemini app had 950 million monthly active users in Q2 2026. Daily active users tripled compared to the previous year.
Google has also been expanding the Gemini model lineup. The company recently released Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber, is testing Gemini 3.5 Pro, and has started pre-training for Gemini 4.
Gmail Changes Coming in January 2027
Separately, Google confirmed it is ending two Gmail features. The “Send as” option, which lets users send emails from third-party accounts like Yahoo, Outlook, and Hotmail directly through Gmail, will stop working in January 2027.
Gmailify, a service that brings Gmail features such as spam filtering and inbox organization to non-Gmail accounts, will also be shut down at the same time.
Google said the decision was made to keep Gmail secure and reduce maintenance demands. Users will receive in-product notifications during the Q3 2026 announcement period.
The transition period runs through Q3 and Q4 2026. New configurations may be restricted during this time, but existing setups will continue to work until January 2027.
Google has not yet confirmed when the Gemini rollout will extend to Google TV, Google Home speakers, or smart displays. Those devices still run Google Assistant for now.
The Gemini web app is available in more than 70 languages across 230 countries and territories.
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