Google Assistant to Be Removed from Android Devices in September

Google has announced that it will begin removing access to Google Assistant on Android phones and tablets, along with paired devices like smartwatches or headphones, from September 4th. The news was revealed in an email sent to some users, as reported by 9to5Google and shared on Reddit, and The Verge is seeking confirmation from Google. According to the email, the removal process may take a few weeks to reach everyone, and after it is removed, users will no longer be able to use or switch back to Google Assistant. If Gemini is available in the user's region and their device meets minimum requirements, they will have access to Gemini instead. Paired devices including Wear OS smartwatches, headphones, earbuds, and cars with Android Auto will lose Assistant access, but cars with Google built-in will retain it for now. Google Home and Google TV devices are unaffected, so Assistant will continue in some places. Previously, Google had planned to end Assistant access for most mobile devices in 2025, but the shutdown was delayed to this year, and now the removal is imminent.