Google Assistant to shut down on Android phones September 4
Google will remove Google Assistant from Android phones, tablets, and paired devices like smartwatches and headphones starting September 4, 2026, per an email to users reported by The Verge. Gemini becomes the default assistant on those devices going forward; Assistant continues for now on cars with Google built-in, and on smart speakers and displays.
Why it matters: Google is retiring the assistant that has handled voice search on Android for a decade, moving the default 'Hey Google' query flow onto Gemini's answer engine.
Via The Verge AI ↗
Posted to the wire August 5, 2026.