Google is ending its relationship with Google Assistant. According to a blog post, the company will upgrade “more” users from Google Assistant to Gemini “over the coming months.”
The classic Google Assistant “will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores” at some point “later this year.” (9to5Google reports that phones running Android 9 or earlier and without at least 2GB of RAM will still be able to use the classic Assistant.)
“Additionally, we’ll be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini,” Google says. “We are also bringing a new experience to home devices like speakers, displays, and televisions, powered by Gemini.”
The business states that it will provide additional details “in the next few months.” (I would anticipate that Google will provide details regarding that new experience at Google I/O in May.) In the meantime, “Google Assistant will continue to operate on these devices,” according to Google.
In 2016, Google launched its first version of Google Assistant. However, since many of Google’s AI and assistant-like initiatives are now branded under the Gemini umbrella, the company is officially discontinuing Google Assistant.