Gemini Replaces Google Assistant as Siri AI Arrives. What It Means for You

Google told Android users by email that it would start removing Google Assistant from phones, tablets and paired devices on September 4, 2026, and Gemini now answers "Hey Google" and the long press of the power button. On September 14, Apple started rolling out Siri AI as an opt-in beta in iOS 27. On most Android phones and Windows PCs, the assistant behind the button is now a generative AI chatbot by default; on iPhone and Mac it is your choice. On Android you can't switch back once the change reaches you, on iPhone you can return to Siri Classic, and on Windows you can reassign the Copilot key or ignore it.

Key takeaways

According to Google's email as reported by 9to5Google, Assistant removal started September 4, 2026 on Android phones, tablets, Wear OS watches, headphones and phone-based Android Auto, with no way back. Cars with Google built-in keep Assistant, and the change doesn't yet cover speakers, displays or TVs.
Siri AI is an opt-in English beta on the iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 or later. It isn't initially offered on iPhone in the EU, or at all in China, and Apple says expanded access beyond daily limits "will be available for a fee in the future."
On Windows 11 the Copilot key opens the Copilot app, but you can choose what the key opens instead. The English-only "Hey Copilot" wake word is off by default.
Basic assistants are free; costs come through bundles such as Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month with Copilot, or Alexa+ at $19.99 a month without Prime.
Google's help page lists Assistant features Gemini still lacks, including Interpreter mode and some podcast, radio and music providers.

What it means for you

Android, Pixel and Samsung owners: Gemini is now the assistant on eligible phones, and the change is one-way. Check the missing features below.
iPhone owners: Nothing changes until you tap "Try Siri AI (Beta)," and Siri Classic stays available.
Mac owners: Siri AI needs a Mac with M1 or later, or the MacBook Neo, and, unlike on iPhone, is offered in the EU.
Windows PC owners: Copilot works on any Windows 11 PC where it is offered. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family now include it, at a higher price.
People on older devices: In 2025 Google said Android phones below Gemini's minimum requirements would keep Google Assistant; its Gemini availability page doesn't say whether that still holds after the September change. iPhones before the 15 Pro, including the standard iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, don't get Siri AI.
People who don't want an AI assistant: Every platform lets you unassign the button and wake word; see the closing checklist.
Parents: Age limits differ by platform. The FAQ covers them.

Who answers the button now

What each built-in trigger opens as of October 10, 2026, per each company's support pages:

Platform	Button or wake word	What answers now	Key date
Android phones and tablets (Pixel and others)	Long press of power button, corner swipe, "Hey Google"	Gemini	Assistant removal from Sept. 4, 2026
Samsung Galaxy	Long press of side button	Gemini by default on current software, per Samsung's Canadian guide (the US guide still describes Bixby); either can be chosen	Follows the Android change
Wear OS watches, headphones, Android Auto from a phone	Same as the paired phone	Gemini, following the phone	Sept. 4, 2026 rollout
Nest speakers and displays, Google TV, cars with Google built-in	"Hey Google"	Google Assistant for now; speakers and displays switch if the home is moved to Gemini for Home	Not part of the September change
iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 and later	Side button, "Siri" or "Hey Siri"; with Siri AI, also a swipe down from the top of the screen	Siri Classic, or Siri AI (beta) if you opt in	Siri AI beta from Sept. 14, 2026
Windows 11 PC	Copilot key, Windows+C, "Hey Copilot" (opt-in)	Microsoft Copilot app, or whatever you assign to the key	Wake word generally available from Oct. 16, 2025
Echo devices and Fire TV	"Alexa"	Alexa+ for Prime members and subscribers; compatible Fire TVs upgraded for everyone	Fire TV rollout announced Aug. 19, 2026

Android: Assistant is gone

Google announced on March 14, 2025 that it would upgrade mobile Assistant users to Gemini later that year; the deadline slipped into 2026. In an email reported by 9to5Google on August 4, 2026, Google told users that Assistant is "being discontinued" on mobile; no Google help page gives the date. The report quotes Google saying removal starts September 4 and "this process may take a few weeks to reach everyone," and says that afterward users can no longer use or switch back to Assistant on a phone, tablet or paired devices: Wear OS watches, headphones and Android Auto projected from a phone. Assistant keeps working in cars with Google built-in, and the announcement doesn't yet apply to other devices.

By September 28, 2026, 9to5Google found Assistant gone on every device and account it checked in the US and Europe, and the "Switch to Google Assistant" option had disappeared from the Gemini app. The two sources don't fully agree: on October 10, 2026, Google's own help pages still gave steps to switch back. If your Gemini app still shows "Switch to Google Assistant," the removal hasn't reached your phone yet; if it doesn't, those help-page steps no longer apply.

What Gemini still doesn't do

Google's page on what the Gemini mobile app can do lists these gaps:

Podcasts, news and radio stations, and some third-party music providers.
Interpreter mode for live translated conversations.
Some routine starters and actions, including multi-step ones that need a back-and-forth.
Visual cards: answers to requests like the weather come in voice and text only, without maps or graphs.

"Hey Google" and Voice Match don't work with Gemini in 14 languages, including Greek, Hebrew, Finnish and Ukrainian, or on supervised accounts.

Older phones and paired devices

Gemini's availability page says the Android app needs 2 GB of RAM or more and Android 9 or later, and it doesn't run on Android Go. In its March 2025 announcement Google said phones below the minimum keep their current Assistant; its current help pages don't say whether that changed with the September removal. Paired watches, headphones and earbuds switch with the phone, per Google's Gemini getting-started page, while smart displays, speakers, TVs, cars and Pixel Tablets continue to be powered by Assistant.

On Samsung phones, Samsung Canada's side-button guide says a long press now launches Gemini by default, or Google Assistant where Gemini isn't offered; Bixby remains an option. Samsung's US guide still describes Bixby on the long press, so check Settings > Advanced features > Side button to see which your phone uses.

iPhone and Mac: Siri AI beta

Apple's approach is the opposite of Google's: the new assistant is opt-in. According to Apple's Siri AI announcement, Siri AI is rolling out as a beta in English, with five more languages planned for October. It needs an Apple Intelligence device: iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 or later, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPads and Macs with M1 or later, the MacBook Neo, Apple Vision Pro, or an Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Ultra 2 or later, or SE 3 paired with such an iPhone. It won't be available in China while Apple works through regulatory requirements.

The EU limit depends on the device. Apple's September 14 release notice says Siri AI isn't initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS and watchOS, but is available there on Mac and Vision Pro.

Turning it on is a deliberate step. Apple's guide to turning on and activating Siri points to a "Try Siri AI (Beta)" option in Settings > Siri, notes that you must be connected to the internet to use Siri, and explains how to go back to Siri Classic.

Google's role is indirect. In a joint statement on January 12, 2026, Apple and Google announced a multi-year collaboration under which future Apple Foundation Models are based on Gemini models and Google's cloud technology. It says Apple Intelligence keeps running on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute.

Windows: Copilot key and app

On Windows 11, Microsoft's guide to getting started with Copilot on Windows says the Copilot app comes preinstalled on new PCs and opens with the Copilot key or Windows+C. Microsoft's October 16, 2025 announcement, "Making every Windows 11 PC an AI PC," made the "Hey Copilot" wake word generally available and put Copilot Vision, which can look at windows you share, in every market where Copilot is offered, on any Windows 11 PC, not only Copilot+ PCs.

Microsoft has since pulled back in some places. In its March 20, 2026 post "Our commitment to Windows quality," the company said it is "reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points," starting with apps including Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad.

Copilot inside Microsoft 365

On January 16, 2025, Microsoft added Copilot to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family and raised US prices by $3 a month, the first increase since the plans launched. Copilot comes with monthly AI credits, and on Family plans only the owner can use it. At the time, Microsoft offered existing subscribers with recurring billing a switch to new Personal Classic or Family Classic plans, without Copilot, "for a limited time." Microsoft's current US plan comparison page lists no Classic plan, and the 2025 post gave no end date for the offer, so the way to find out is the Cancel page in your own account (see the checklist below).

What's free and what isn't

US list prices as of October 10, 2026:

Service	Free	Paid
Siri AI	Yes, with daily limits on server-based features	Apple says expanded access will cost a fee in the future; no price announced
Gemini app on Android	Yes	Optional Google AI plans for higher limits and advanced models
Galaxy AI	Basic features	Samsung says future enhanced features may be paid
Gemini for Home	Basic features	Gemini Live and some other features need Google Home Premium
Copilot app on Windows	Yes	Copilot in Word, Excel and other apps comes with Microsoft 365 Personal ($99.99/year or $9.99/month), Family ($129.99/year or $12.99/month; AI for the subscription owner only) or Premium ($199.99/year)
Alexa+	Included with Prime; limited free chat at Alexa.com and in the app	$19.99/month without Prime

Samsung's Galaxy AI page says that "Galaxy AI basic features provided by Samsung are free" (those listed under "Advanced intelligence" in its terms), that future enhanced features may be paid, and that third-party AI features may have different terms. Microsoft's prices come from its plan comparison page. Amazon's figures come from its post "Alexa+ now available to everyone in the US," which notes Alexa+ became free for Prime members in February 2026 and that free text chat at Alexa.com and in the app is limited based on use.

Illustrative example: a household without Prime that wants full Alexa+ and also pays monthly for Microsoft 365 Personal for Copilot in Word.

Alexa+ for a year     = 12 × $19.99 = $239.88
Microsoft 365, monthly = 12 × $9.99  = $119.88
Microsoft 365, annual  =               $99.99
Annual-billing saving  = $119.88 − $99.99 = $19.89

With annual Microsoft billing the two total $339.87 a year. The $19.89 saved by paying Microsoft annually is small next to the $239.88 Alexa+ line, which drops to $0 for a household that already pays for Prime. On a Family plan the same annual-billing saving is $25.89 (12 × $12.99 = $155.88 against $129.99), but only the subscription owner gets Copilot.

Frequently asked questions

Will Gemini replace Google Assistant on my Nest speaker or Google TV?

Not as part of the September phone change, which Google said doesn't yet apply to speakers, displays or TVs. Google's page on the Gemini for Home voice assistant says it is reaching speakers and displays through early access in selected languages and countries, including the US, and that once you switch a home over, every compatible device in it uses Gemini and you can't switch back to Assistant. Basic features such as smart home control, timers and general questions are free; Gemini Live needs Google Home Premium.

Does "Hey Copilot" mean my PC is always recording?

Microsoft's wake word page says the feature is off by default. When it is on, the PC keeps a 10-second audio buffer in memory to spot the phrase, and that buffer is never recorded or stored. Audio is sent to Microsoft's voice service only from the moment "Hey Copilot" is detected, and answers need an internet connection. The Copilot app has to be running, and the wake word doesn't work while the screen is locked.

Can children use Siri AI or Gemini?

Apple says Siri AI isn't available to users under 13. On Android, Google's guide to guiding your child's Gemini Apps experience says a parent using Family Link controls whether a child under 13 can use Gemini Apps, under Controls > Gemini > Gemini Apps, and "Hey Google" with Gemini isn't available on supervised accounts. On iPhone, Screen Time can block Siri and Apple Intelligence features on a child's device, as Apple's page on restricting Apple Intelligence explains.

Will my Fire TV get Alexa+ even without Prime?

Yes, if it's a compatible model in the US. Amazon's August 19, 2026 post on Alexa+ on Fire TV says eligible US Fire TV customers are upgraded automatically, Prime or not, with nothing to activate. Prime or the $19.99 plan adds Alexa+ on compatible Echo devices and extras such as Alexa Routines.

Can I still use ChatGPT through Siri?

Yes. Apple's iOS 27 user guide still includes an optional ChatGPT extension, which you turn on separately. It is described in Apple's guide to turning on ChatGPT. The Gemini deal is different: it shapes Apple's own models rather than adding a Google chatbot.

How to change or turn it off

Menu names vary by maker and version; if a path doesn't match, search Settings for its last word.

Android, assistant app: Settings > Apps > Default apps > Digital assistant app, then choose another app or None. Google's page on managing or deleting the Gemini app notes that deleting the app doesn't remove Gemini as the default assistant.
Android, power button and voice: Settings > System > Gestures > Press & hold power button. To stop voice activation, open the Gemini app and go to Settings > Talk to Gemini hands-free and turn off "Hey Google."
Samsung Galaxy: Settings > Advanced features > Side button, as described in Samsung's US support page. If you take the long press off the power menu, Side and Volume Down together still bring up the power-off menu.
iPhone: Settings > Siri > Turn Off Siri. To leave the beta but keep Siri, turn Siri off, tap Turn On Siri, then choose Siri Classic. To keep Siri but stop the button or wake word, use the options in Apple's guide to changing Siri settings.
Windows key: Settings > Personalization > Text input > Customize Copilot key on keyboard, where you choose what the key opens, according to Microsoft's keyboard shortcuts page. The same setting controls Windows+C.
Windows app: Microsoft's Copilot management guide, written for IT administrators, describes uninstalling the Copilot app from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, using the three-dot menu next to the app.
Microsoft 365 bill: Before renewal, open Subscriptions in your Microsoft account, then Manage > Cancel subscription. Microsoft's guide to switching subscriptions says the Cancel page shows plans with fewer features you can switch to, and the switch takes effect at renewal.