Google has officially adjusted its plans for updating its mobile ecosystem, announcing that the full replacement of the aging Google Assistant with the advanced Gemini model will not occur until 2026. Previously, the migration was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. This was revealed through updated documentation on the support portal and reports from tech media. Experts attribute the delay to the need to close the feature parity gap: while Gemini excels in complex dialogue, it still lags in speed and reliability for executing simple smart home commands and system operations.
This decision gives Android users and device manufacturers more time to adapt, but also signals that "smart" LLM agents are not yet ready to fully replace fast scripted systems in mission-critical scenarios. Google will continue to support the classic Assistant on millions of devices while rolling out hybrid Gemini features as an option, rather than a forced standard, throughout the coming year.
Source: Google SupportGoogleGeminiAndroidVoice AIAssistant
