Google to retire Assistant on Android and Wear OS Sept. 4; Gemini set to replace key features

Google has set September 4 as the date when Google Assistant will stop working on Android phones and Wear OS watches, according to recent coverage and Google support materials. The change extends a migration Google outlined earlier, when it said the “classic” Google Assistant would no longer be accessible on most mobile devices as users were upgraded to Gemini. Google’s current Wear OS help pages already refer users to setting up “Gemini or Google Assistant” on supported watches, showing the two systems in parallel during the transition. ### When exactly does Google Assistant stop working on phones and watches? September 4 is the shutdown date Google has now tied to Android and Wear OS, according to reporting by 9to5Google and TechRadar, both citing Google’s user guidance. The date applies to Android phones and Wear OS watches, and users are being told to switch to Gemini before then. (9to5google.com) Google said in a March 2025 blog post that more mobile users would be upgraded from Assistant to Gemini over time and that the classic Assistant would later disappear from most mobile devices and from new mobile app downloads. That earlier notice also said Google planned to upgrade tablets, cars and connected devices such as headphones and watches to Gemini. (9to5google.com) ### Which devices are actually covered by the change? Wear OS help documentation says Google Assistant works on selected watches running Wear OS 3.0 or later, while Gemini on watches requires selected devices running Wear OS 4.0 or later. That means the replacement path is not identical across all hardware, and support depends in part on the watch model and software version. (blog.google) Google’s Wear OS support center now includes pages for setting up Gemini on a smartwatch, using Gemini on Wear devices and troubleshooting “Gemini or Google Assistant” on a watch. Those help pages indicate Google has already folded Gemini into the core support flow for wearable users. ### What is Google telling users to do before Sept. 4? Google’s guidance, as reflected in recent reports, is for users to switch to Gemini before the September 4 deadline. (support.google.com) On watches, the support flow directs users to confirm that Gemini or Google Assistant is set up and to check compatibility with their manufacturer if the device is unsupported. On Android, the broader migration has been underway for months. (support.google.com) Google said previously that Gemini would become the upgraded assistant experience on mobile, rather than a separate experimental tool sitting alongside Assistant. ### How does Gemini Notebook fit into the same push? Google has also been expanding Gemini’s productivity features beyond voice assistance. (techradar.com) In July, Google said NotebookLM had become Gemini Notebook and that notebooks would increasingly sync across the Gemini app and Google Search. A separate Google blog post last month said NotebookLM was adding code execution and the ability to generate outputs including reports, charts, spreadsheets and slide decks. (blog.google) Those additions line up with recent reports that Google had completed rollout of a broader Gemini Notebook Pro update centered on richer output formats. (blog.google) ### What should users watch next? September 4 is the next hard date for Android and Wear OS users, based on the shutdown guidance now circulating in Google-related coverage. Before then, users can check Google’s Wear OS and Gemini help pages to see whether their watch supports Gemini and what setup steps apply to their device. (9to5google.com) (blog.google)