The switch from Google Assistant to Gemini will be slower than expected
As we approach the end of 2025, you may be one of the many Android users expecting Google Assistant to be completely replaced by Gemini. Indeed, this was very much the plan that Google announced earlier in the year.
But as year end creeps up on us, the company has had a change of heart and is slowing down the pace of things. The precise new timescale is not really very clear at the moment, but Google has shared an update about how things will proceed.
As well as failing to give anything approaching a proper timeline of event, Google also fails to give much in the way of explanation for the slowing of the rollout. There is a vague reference to wanting to “make sure we deliver a seamless transition”, and it is easy to read between the lines. Google may not be saying as much, but it would seem that Gemini replacing Google Assistant has either been problematic on sufficient devices to warrant further work, or there have been complaints about the changes in functionality.
A new support document has appeared on the Gemini Apps Help pages. Penned by the Community Manager of the Gemini Apps Team, it is entitled “Here’s an update on our work to upgrade mobile Assistant devices to Gemini” and reads:
Hey everyone,
Earlier this year, we shared our plans to upgrade the Assistant experience to Gemini on most mobile devices by the end of 2025. We’re adjusting our previously announced timeline to make sure we deliver a seamless transition, and will continue our work to upgrade Assistant users to Gemini on mobile devices into 2026. We’ll share more details on our plans in the coming months. Your feedback matters to us. Feel free to drop any further suggestions here.
Thanks,
Anish K
The announcement comes very close to the deadline Google had set itself, and this is curious in itself. Was the company really convinced that it would be able to make the switch by the end of the year and it has hit unexpected snags? Or is it a case of the original timeline being optimistic and a dose of realism has now been injected?
Whatever the truth behind the delays may be, it is something that will cause a mixed reaction. Android users who are perfectly happy with Google Assistant will be more than happy that things are not changing just yet, but Gemini fans will be irked at whatever the roadblocks may be,
Which side of the fence do you find yourself on? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Image credit: Ardy Dwi Prayoga / Dreamstime.com
