According to Android Police, Google has quietly confirmed that Google Assistant will stop working on most devices in March 2026. The company updated its Android Auto support page to reveal Assistant “will be available for use until March 2026” before being permanently replaced by Gemini. This transition affects not just phones but also tablets, smart speakers, Wear OS watches, and in-car systems. Currently users can switch back to Assistant after trying Gemini, but that option disappears completely after the March deadline. Google claims Gemini will support all Assistant commands and speak more naturally, though many users remain skeptical about whether it’s a true upgrade.
The slow sunset begins
Here’s the thing – Assistant has already been losing features for months. It’s basically been on life support while Google poured all its resources into Gemini. And now we have an official expiration date. But what about all those older Android phones that don’t support Gemini? Google’s being characteristically vague about that. They might retain some basic Assistant functionality, but it won’t be the powerful assistant you remember. Basically, if your device can’t run Gemini, you’re probably out of luck for any decent voice assistant experience.
Gemini’s everywhere takeover
This isn’t just about your phone. Gemini is coming for everything – your car with Android Auto upgrades, your TV through Google TV integrations, even your smart home devices. Google promises “a new experience, powered by Gemini” for smart home users. But will it actually be better? The company’s track record with these transitions is… mixed, to put it politely. Remember when they killed off the much-loved Google Play Music for YouTube Music? Yeah.
What happens now?
So we’ve got about ten months until the big switch. That’s plenty of time to get used to using Gemini Live and see if it actually measures up. The big question is whether Google will deliver on its promise that Gemini handles all Assistant commands seamlessly. My guess? There will be growing pains. Probably some frustrating moments when your smart lights don’t respond the way they used to. But the die is cast – Google’s all-in on Gemini, and Assistant’s days are officially numbered according to their own support documentation. The countdown to March 2026 has begun.
