Google says it needs more time to upgrade Assistant to Gemini on most Android devices; Google previously planned to complete the transition by the end of 2025
The transition from Assistant to Gemini will continue into 2026. — Google wanted to remove Assistant from most Android phones …
Context & Ripple Effects
Google framed the Android change as a 2025 replacement program, with older or lower-memory phones excluded from the earlier Android replacement plan. The revised schedule shows that converting a long-standing assistant across a broad device base is proving less linear than the initial target implied.
The migration is also extending beyond phones: Google later began bringing Gemini to cars with Google built in, while Waze had already cited integration difficulties when removing Assistant on iPhone. Together, those developments make the Android delay relevant to how quickly Google can standardize its assistant experience across surfaces.
First-order effects
- Android users and device partners will continue to encounter Assistant and Gemini during an extended transition, rather than moving to a single default assistant on the original timetable.
- Google must keep supporting the legacy Assistant path longer while completing Gemini upgrades on most Android devices.
Second-order effects
- App and device teams that integrate with Google’s assistant layer may need to maintain compatibility with two experiences for longer, particularly where Assistant integrations have already shown friction.
- A slower phone migration can delay the consistency Google seeks as it expands Gemini into other Google-controlled interfaces, including vehicles.
Third-order effects
- If similar delays recur across surfaces, the assistant transition becomes less a feature swap than a multi-year platform migration, with legacy compatibility shaping rollout speed.
- The pattern points toward assistants becoming a shared operating layer across devices, but adoption will depend on whether integrations can be standardized without breaking existing workflows.
The trend: Google is consolidating Assistant-era experiences into Gemini across Android and adjacent device surfaces, with deployment complexity setting the pace of that platform shift.