Google will retire Gemini’s Gems in 2026 and migrate their settings to skills
Google announced the end of Gemini’s Gems, a feature that let users create custom assistants for specific tasks. The company says it will automatically migrate their settings to skills starting November 17, 2026, with no action required from users; Gems will remain usable until then. Skills can be used across different tasks and combined in Gemini Spark workflows, according to Tecnoblog, which also reports that they are currently available only to Google AI Pro or Ultra subscribers. Google has not yet explained how access will work for users of the free version.
Launched in 2024, Gems could be used for tasks such as studying, writing, coding, or vacation planning. TechCrunch notes that selecting a skill will require entering a slash “/” in a task thread. The wind-down was first reported by 9to5Google, according to TechCrunch.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The automatic migration reduces the work for people already using Gems, but the change may affect how personalized assistants are accessed and combined. Google’s lack of an explanation for free users leaves access to skills after the transition uncertain.