Google has confirmed that its AI system Gemini will take over as the primary voice assistant on phones in 2026, marking a significant shift from the long-standing Google Assistant platform. Rather than existing alongside the current assistant, Gemini will fully replace it on future Android devices and serve as the main way people interact with their phones using voice and text. This move reflects the company’s focus on generative AI as a core part of everyday smartphone use.
Gemini is designed to handle many of the tasks people already rely on Google Assistant for, such as answering questions, setting reminders, sending messages, and controlling smart home devices. What sets it apart is its deeper intelligence and broader understanding of context, allowing for more natural and conversational interactions. Instead of simple commands, users will be able to ask more detailed questions or give complex requests in regular speech, with Gemini responding in ways that feel more like chatting with a knowledgeable helper than issuing instructions to a machine.
The shift to Gemini is part of a broader strategy to weave advanced AI into the core experience of Android phones. As mobile users increasingly look for more intuitive and contextual experiences, Google sees generative AI as the next big evolution in how people interact with technology. With Gemini on board, phones will be able to provide richer answers, understand follow-up questions, summarize content on the fly, and even assist with creative tasks like composing messages or brainstorming ideas.
For users, the transition should feel familiar at first, since many of the same features they used in Assistant will still be available. Over time, however, Gemini’s more powerful reasoning and language capabilities are expected to expand what’s possible with voice and text interactions. Developers will also be able to tap into these new AI abilities, potentially leading to more intelligent apps and services that work seamlessly with the assistant’s responses.
Google says the full replacement of Assistant with Gemini will roll out through software updates and new device launches throughout 2026. Phones that already support Assistant will still receive updates, and users won’t lose access to their existing routines or settings. Instead, those stored experiences will transition into the Gemini framework, with the assistant acting as a more capable version of what people are already used to.
This step highlights how major tech companies are rethinking the role of AI in everyday devices. Rather than being a separate feature or novelty, generative AI is becoming the central way people search, communicate, and manage tasks on their phones. As Gemini rolls out more broadly next year, it may reshape many of the basic interactions people have with their mobile devices — making voice and AI assistance more powerful and intuitive than ever before.
