Google Assistant is gone from Android: what replaced it

If you said "Hey Google" lately and got a different kind of answer, or a routine you had running for years quietly stopped, that is not you. Google Assistant has been shut down on Android. From 4 September 2026 Google began removing it and putting Gemini in its place, and the rollout takes a few weeks, so if you still have Assistant you probably will not for long.

What it has been removed from: Android phones and tablets, Wear OS watches, headphones, and Android Auto when it is running off your phone. And it is final rather than a default you can change. Google's own wording is that once it is removed you will no longer be able to use or switch back to Assistant on your phone, tablet or paired devices, and the "switch to Google Assistant" option inside the Gemini app is going too.

What still has it for now: cars with Google built in kept Assistant past 4 September. Google Home speakers and displays and Google TV will move to Gemini eventually, with no date announced. So if the kitchen speaker still sounds like the old one, that is why.

What is actually different. Gemini sits on a much more capable model, so it is better at longer conversations, follow-up questions, writing and summarising, and understanding what is on your screen. What people miss is the boring reliability: a timer, a light off, a routine that ran the same way every morning. Gemini does all of that too, but it can feel slower, and routines do not always survive the move intact.

The five things worth checking if something broke:

Default assistant. On most phones that is Settings, then Apps, then Default apps, then Digital assistant app. Make sure Gemini is the one selected.

Voice activation. Open the Gemini app, into settings, confirm "Hey Google" is on. You may have to retrain your voice.

Routines. Anything you had as a morning or bedtime routine lives in the Google Home app now, and some of them need rebuilding rather than just re-enabling.

Smart home links. If "turn off the lights" stopped working, open Google Home and check the devices are still connected rather than assuming the voice part is broken.

Permissions. Gemini can reach more of your Google account than Assistant did, Gmail and Calendar and Drive among them. Go through what it is allowed to touch and switch off what you do not want it in.

The reason for all of it is not mysterious. Running two assistants costs money and confuses people, Google has put its bets on Gemini, and Assistant was the older technology. That is a sensible decision for Google. For anyone who wanted a fast simple assistant that set a timer without conversation, it is a genuine loss, and there is no reason to pretend otherwise.