Google is finally putting a date on the end of an era for the Google Assistant.
The company has hinted that Google Assistant will only stick around until March 2026, clearing the way for Gemini to fully take over as its main helper across phones, cars, TVs, and wearables.
That means a service introduced back in 2016 is likely to bow out just before its tenth birthday.
A banner on Google’s official Android Auto support forum is highlighted as the first clear sunset timeline.
The notice says Google Assistant will continue working on Android until March 2026 and reassures users that Gemini will understand the same commands while also allowing more natural speech. It is the clearest signal yet that what used to be Google’s flagship assistant is now firmly in maintenance mode.
This shift has been building for quite some time now. Google has already been pushing Gemini into the spaces where Assistant used to live, including Android phones, Android Auto, Wear OS watches, and Google TV. The company now talks about Gemini as its main AI experience rather than one feature among many, and Assistant has been gradually stepping back with features being removed or redirected. The new banner simply confirms what the product changes have been hinting at all year.
For many people who built routines around voice commands, this will feel like a big moment. Google Assistant has been the default voice for millions of Android devices and countless Google Home speakers, handling everything from reminders and timers to smart home control and quick web lookups.
Over the next year or so, the focus will be on how well Gemini can replace those habits rather than just show off new AI tricks.
Google is promising that familiar commands will still work and that speaking to Gemini will be more natural. However, trust will still depend on how reliable it is for the small everyday tasks people use dozens of times a day. With a firm deadline now in place, anyone who relies on Google Assistant has a limited window to see whether Gemini can really step into its shoes.
