Ars Technica article
Google plans to kill Assistant on your phone on September 4
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/08/google-plans-to-kill-assistant-on-your-phone-on-september-4/
Here's a summary.
Google announced in an email that it will gradually discontinue the Android Assistant starting September 4th, transitioning all users to Gemini.
Originally, Google planned to end Assistant by late 2025. However, as they refined Gemini, the termination date was postponed. Now that Gemini is ready to replace Assistant, Google will stop supporting the existing service starting September 4th. The email notes that the full transition may take several weeks. Therefore, it's possible that users will still be able to use it for a while longer before it disappears completely. Users who have already switched to Gemini won't experience any changes.
With the discontinuation of Google Assistant, smart features on various devices connected to phones will also lose access to the assistant. This includes smartwatches and headphones, as well as vehicles supporting Android Auto, which will automatically switch to Gemini. Most of Google's smart home devices have already transitioned to Gemini. [Rest of content omitted]
Related Reddit post
https://www.reddit.com/r/google/comments/1vfm5s1/
