# Google Assistant’s Nine-Year Run on Android Ends September 4 ## Article Metadata - **Author:** Waqas Amjad - **Published Date:** August 6, 2026 ## Content Quick Answer Google will remove Google Assistant from Android phones, tablets, Wear OS, Android Auto, and earbuds on September 4, 2026. Users are being shifted to Gemini, Google's generative AI assistant, which has already become the default on most supported devices. Assistant launched in 2016 and was originally slated for retirement in 2025 before Google delayed the move. Google has now announced the end of Google Assistant. It will be phased out of Android phones, tablets, and Wear OS smartwatches from September 4, 2026, ending almost a decade as the Android voice assistant. According to 9to5Google, the company has already begun notifications to those impacted via email. Those who still use Assistant will now be upgraded to Google’s new AI assistant, Gemini, which is already the default choice on most supported devices. Assistant is much older than most remember. It was first seen in 2016 as part of Google’s short-lived Allo messaging app, and then appeared on phones, smart speakers, displays, TVs, cars, and anything with a Google account and microphone. “Hey Google” had always been the way to set a timer, check the weather or directions without touching the screen. Google had actually planned to retire Assistant back in 2025 but extended the timeline as they continued to develop Gemini. Those waiting for this time seem to be running out. In the last few months, Gemini has been gradually rolling out as the default assistant on eligible Android devices, and September 4 looks like the point where Google stops waiting. The difference between the two isn’t small. Assistant was built for pretty specific command-like tasks. While Gemini is built on Google’s generative AI stack, it supports voice, text, and image, so it can still make calls, set alarms, navigate, and write, summarise, and even engage in a conversation. It’s not just phones affected either. Android Auto, wearables, and earbuds get their own confirmation, and thus the shutdown extends beyond the device in the pocket. Anyone who hasn’t already switched will need to move to Gemini before the September 4 cutoff, since Assistant will not function on Android after that date. --- **Source URL:** https://wikitechlibrary.com/google-assistant-shutdown-android-gemini-takeover/