By Ben Khalesi
Publication Date: 2026-10-21 12:00:00
Google Assistant is officially dead. In September 2026, Google pulled it from Android phones and tablets. It’s also gone from Wear OS watches and Android Auto.
Gemini took its place everywhere, whether you asked for it or not. Plenty of Android owners didn’t ask for it. Forums and Reddit are filled with complaints about the new default AI.
It’s not hard to see why they’re mad. Hands-free commands that used to be instant now come back as mini-lectures from a chatbot trained to make conversation.
An assistant shouldn’t be trying to make friends. The good news is you don’t have to change your phone or put up with the small talk.
Now here’s the honest truth. Assistant isn’t coming back, no matter how many settings you change. Gemini is here to stay.
But with a little elbow grease in the settings and a few toggles, you can get Gemini to behave a lot like the good old Assistant.
…
