Google has announced that it’s time for a “platform change.” However, this will only happen if you have a device running Gemini with more than 2GB of RAM and Android 10 or later.
Google is planning to phase out Google Assistant and gradually replace it with its new flagship, Gemini AI. Google Assistant, which launched in 2016, has now become somewhat outdated in today’s world of AI. Google plans to upgrade users “in the coming months,” with the classic Assistant becoming unavailable on most mobile devices by the end of the year.
However, this change will not affect all Android users, at least not in the short term. If your device doesn’t meet the hardware requirements for running Google Gemini (which requires a device with Android 10 or later and more than 2GB of RAM), things will remain as they are for now.
Google says this change is a result of a shift from natural language processing and voice recognition technology to generative AI, marking a “platform change.”
The company is now focusing on Gemini, with several new features launched this year. Just this week, it detailed an opt-in tool that allows Gemini to craft responses based on past searches. For example, if you ask, “What new hobby or job should I pursue?” Gemini will consider your search history when providing an answer. It can even show you which data sources were used to generate the response—such as saved information, previous chats, or search history.
To try out this feature, go to Gemini apps and choose “Personalization (Experimental)” from the model drop-down menu to connect with your search history. If you prefer that Gemini does not continually access your search history, you can opt out and disconnect the integration at any time.
Last month, Gemini gained the ability to remember past conversations, allowing users to request AI-generated summaries of previous discussions on specific topics. Google also announced that, as part of Gemini Live at this year’s Mobile World Congress, the tool will soon get new screen-sharing and live video capabilities.
