Google has stated that Gemini will completely take the place of Assistant on smartphones in 2026.

      Google Assistant is set to receive an extension as Gemini misses its deadline for mobile devices.

      Google's significant initiative to replace the dependable Google Assistant with its more advanced AI successor, Gemini, is experiencing a minor delay. The transition is indeed still on course, but it will not be completed this year as initially promised. The company has now confirmed that the rollout will extend into 2026, allowing users to retain the legacy Assistant a bit longer while they refine the new experience.

      Earlier this spring, Google unveiled an ambitious vision aimed at completely transforming our smartphone usage.

      The strategy was to move past a conventional voice assistant that merely follows commands and towards an AI that exhibits real reasoning and profound contextual understanding. The original announcement back in March indicated a swift "upgrade" to Gemini on mobile devices, with the old Assistant expected to phase out from newer Android phones and app stores within the ensuing months.

      However, introducing Gemini on mobile goes beyond just a simple rebranding. Google sees this as a significant shift towards personalized, AI-driven assistance that comprehends natural conversation and can truly interact with other applications on users' phones. It is built on cutting-edge generative AI technology, enabling features like fluid conversations in Gemini Live and the capacity to provide intricate, researched answers—tasks that the old Assistant struggled with.

      Despite these grand ambitions and some initial launches on Wear OS devices and Android Auto, Google is exercising caution. They want to ensure that the transition is genuinely “seamless” before completely retiring the Assistant. An update to their support pages quietly clarified that the migration of mobile users to Gemini will now extend through 2026, rather than concluding in 2025. The timeline for other platforms, such as vehicles, is likely to follow a similar slower pace.

      For Android phone users, this means that the Assistant you are familiar with won't disappear overnight.

      You can still use it for basic functions like setting timers, making calls, or answering simple questions. If you are eager to try, you can manually download the Gemini app to explore the new features now. Eventually, Gemini will become the default, managing those daily tasks while also pulling in information from various apps for much smarter assistance.

      This delay indicates that Google is taking a cautious approach with a significant change. Replacing a system that has been foundational for Android for nearly a decade is no small feat. It necessitates thorough testing and gradual enhancements to function seamlessly across billions of devices without any issues.

      Google's ultimate goal remains unchanged: to phase out Assistant and integrate Gemini into everything—tablets, headphones, smart home devices, and cars. We can expect this transition to become much more pronounced in the first half of 2026 as Gemini improves and integrates further into the Google ecosystem.

      Android may soon allow users to restrict Wi-Fi access on shared devices.

      Android is finally empowering users to determine who gets automatic access to saved networks on shared phones and tablets.

      Google is working on a new set of Wi-Fi controls for Android that will enable users to decide whether a saved Wi-Fi network is shared with other profiles on the same device (as reported by Android Authority). Currently, when a device connects to a Wi-Fi network, all other profiles on that device gain access automatically, without verification. However, a new “Share Network” toggle in the latest Android Canary build allows users to disable this option, ensuring that only the profile that entered the credentials can connect automatically.

      Apple's next iPad mini might see a significant boost in performance and visual experience.

      Apple's smallest tablet could be gearing up for its most notable upgrade yet, featuring a next-generation A20 Pro chip paired with an OLED display.

      Reports from MacRumors suggest that Apple's upcoming iPad mini could be much more powerful than the current model. The publication indicates that the anticipated iPad mini may include the A20 Pro chip, which has not been mentioned until now because its release is expected alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in 2026. Recently, there were rumors that the eighth-generation iPad mini would feature the A19 Pro chip, which powers the iPhone 17 Pro models. While that would have offered a considerable performance enhancement over the A17 Pro chip in the existing iPad mini, the A20 Pro could represent a monumental advancement, providing sufficient performance capacity for several years.

      Instacart might have charged you more for the same groceries due to AI discrepancies.

      A new investigation conducted by Consumer Reports, in partnership with Groundwork Collaborative and More Perfect Union, suggests that Instacart's use of artificial intelligence in pricing experiments may have caused shoppers to pay varying amounts for the same grocery items.

      The findings indicate a system where prices can fluctuate among users, even when orders are placed at the same retailer, at the same time, and for identical products. The study monitored over 400 Instacart users in four major U.S. cities and found that the price of a carton of eggs or a bag of chips often depended on who was shopping.