Google revealed it would retire Google Assistant in favour of its latest AI-powered Gemini platform on compatible mobile devices, with the transition already underway.

The move will see Gemini used for key functions previously handled by Assistant, including voice commands and app integration.

Later this year, the Google Assistant app will be unavailable for download and stop working on the majority of smartphones.

Ahead of the full transition, the Gemini app has been enhanced with features including music playback, timer setting and quick actions available directly from the lock screen.

Models running Android 9 and older, or devices with less than 2GB of RAM, will retain Assistant for the time being.

Announcing the move in a blog, Google highlighted Gemini as going “far beyond” its legacy Assistant, which was released in 2016.

The company noted its AI service provides features such as Gemini Live, enabling more intuitive and multimodal conversations, and works as a personal research assistant, providing in-depth analysis and information synthesis beyond the capabilities of traditional voice assistants.

Google plans to also upgrade tablets, cars and wearables running Android operating systems, and is working on a new Gemini-powered experience for home devices including smart speakers and TVs.