The company has announced an adjustment to the update schedule. Instead of quickly replacing the old Assistant, Google decided to extend the transition period to allow more time to refine the technology and fix bugs before the global rollout.
The final abandonment of the separate Assistant and its complete removal is now expected to take place during 2026. Company officials noted that replacing decades-old technology with generative AI requires a careful approach to ensure a “seamless experience.”
For owners of new devices (Pixel 9 series and upcoming Pixel 10), Gemini will remain the default priority Assistant, but the option to switch to Classic Assistant in settings will remain for now.