The reported Google Assistant September 4 shutdown will start removing the older assistant from Android phones and tablets, rather than flipping every device on the same day. Google has reportedly emailed existing users saying the process begins September 4, 2026, then may take several weeks to reach everyone.
Once the removal reaches a phone or tablet, users will no longer be able to use Google Assistant there or switch back to it, according to the email quoted by 9to5Google and separately reported by The Verge. The reports describe the email, not a standalone public Google announcement, so the rollout details remain attributed to that message.
Gemini will take Assistant's place for people in regions where Gemini is available and whose devices meet its requirements. Google describes Gemini as its AI-powered assistant. For a plain account of the machinery behind systems that generate language, see how LLMs work.
When will Google Assistant stop working on my Android phone?
September 4 is the start date, not a universal cutoff. The reported email says removal may take a few weeks to reach all affected users. That leaves a period in which one device may still have Assistant while another has already been moved to Gemini.
The practical change is firm for devices once they are included in the rollout: Assistant cannot be restored as the selected Google assistant. 9to5Google reported that the Gemini app still offered a “Switch to Google Assistant” setting when it published its report, but that option is expected to disappear after removal reaches an affected device.
Which devices are covered, and which are not?
The reported scope goes beyond phones. It includes Android tablets and paired devices, including Wear OS watches, headphones and earbuds. It also covers vehicles using Android Auto projected from a user's phone.
- Covered: Android phones and tablets, plus the listed paired devices and phone-projected Android Auto.
- Current exception: Cars with Google built-in will retain Google Assistant beyond September 4, according to the reported email.
- Not covered by this announcement: Google Home devices and Google TV devices, according to The Verge and 9to5Google.
The reporting does not settle what happens to every phone that cannot run Gemini or is used where Gemini is unavailable. It would be premature to say those users will lose Assistant on September 4, or that they will keep it indefinitely.
Google had previously said it intended to replace Assistant on most mobile devices, with an end-of-2025 target that was later pushed into 2026. The email now supplies the reported start date for the mobile phase, along with the part that will irritate people who preferred the old setup: no return switch after their device is migrated.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
