Google prepares to scrub Assistant in favor of Gemini from even more settings

Google is moving forward with Gemini, launching newer models like the Gemini 3 Pro that significantly enhance the AI model’s utility. Google has also long announced its intention to replace Google Assistant with Gemini everywhere. We now know that Google Assistant will remain available for use until March 2026, but there’s a future ahead where it will cease to exist. With Google v16.46.61, we’ve spotted code that further removes Google Assistant branding and mentions on Android, in favor of Gemini.

The latest change has been spotted in the new Hey Google setup flow, which now focuses on Gemini instead of Google Assistant. The Hey Google & Voice Match feature in Gemini used to sport the Google Assistant branding, but Google is finally preparing to switch over to Gemini. We’ll see a similar transition within Gemini settings as well.

The second screen is also being renamed from “Hey Google & Voice Match” to “Talk to Gemini hands-free.”

There’s a new “Manage Voice Match” screen too, hyperlinked below the toggle in the last screenshot above:

Similarly, the setup flow has also changed, presenting users with updated Gemini branding:

Here’s a demo of the new setup flow, where you can appreciate the new animations that come along with the Gemini rebranding:

While the rebranding exercise suggests that the Hey Google command and Voice Match functions are now powered by Gemini instead of Google Assistant, it’s difficult to say whether the underlying technology has changed or if these changes are merely cosmetic. This function is pretty opaque, and unless Google officially reveals so, our guess would be as good as yours.

Given that we now have a deadline for completing the transition to Gemini, it is likely that these changes will go live sooner rather than later. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.