Google Assistant Is Officially Being Replaced by Gemini—And I Have Feelings About It

Well, it's official—Google Assistant is going the way of Google Reader, Stadia, and every other beloved Google service that got axed before its time. After nearly a decade of answering our weirdest questions, setting reminders (except for location-based ones, which they randomly removed—still mad about that), and being generally more competent than Siri (and definitely more than Bixby), Google Assistant is being replaced by Gemini.

For the past few months, Google has been gradually migrating users to Gemini, their shiny new AI assistant, which promises to be smarter, more conversational, and more capable than ever before. The transition is happening in phases, but by the end of the year, the classic Google Assistant will be fully retired from mobile devices, tablets, and even cars, with Gemini taking over everywhere—including smart home devices like speakers, displays, and TVs.

Google's blog post about the change assures us that Gemini is a massive upgrade, with more advanced AI-powered features like free-flowing conversations, better research capabilities, and improved day-to-day functionality (yes, you can still set timers and play music—phew).

As much as I'll miss the old Assistant, I get why Google is making the switch. AI is evolving, and they want to stay ahead of the curve. Here's hoping Gemini is as good—or better—than the trusty Assistant we've relied on for years.