To replace Google Assistant with Gemini, download the Google Gemini app from the Play Store, open it, tap your profile picture, select Settings, and choose “Digital assistants from Google.” From there, select Gemini to make it your default voice assistant across your entire Android device.
The Shift from Assistant to Gemini
In 2026, Google is heavily pushing Gemini as the future of Android. While the classic Google Assistant is excellent for controlling smart home devices and setting timers, Gemini offers vastly superior conversational AI, on-screen context awareness, and complex reasoning.
Step-by-Step: Making Gemini the Default
- Download and install the Google Gemini app from the Google Play Store.
- Open the app and sign in with your Google account.
- Tap your profile avatar in the top right corner.
- Navigate to Settings > Digital assistants from Google.
- Tap the radio button next to Gemini.
Once activated, holding your power button or saying “Hey Google” will now summon the Gemini overlay instead of the classic Assistant.
What Can Gemini Do That Assistant Can’t?
Gemini excels at on-screen awareness. You can bring up the Gemini overlay while reading an article or watching a YouTube video and tap “Summarize this screen.” It can also generate images locally, draft complex emails based on brief prompts, and solve math problems from photos.
The Limitations: Why You Might Switch Back
Despite being the newer AI, Gemini still struggles with some basic Assistant tasks. In our testing, Gemini is noticeably slower at triggering smart home routines, and it occasionally fails to set simple location-based reminders. Fortunately, you can switch back to Google Assistant at any time using the exact same settings menu.