Google is retiring Gems, the Gemini feature that let users build custom AI assistants, and will automatically convert existing Gems into "skills" that can be invoked across tasks. The change takes effect November 17, 2026, according to a notice in the Gemini app. Google says users do not need to do anything, and Gems will keep working until the migration.
Gems launched in 2024 as a way to avoid repeating instructions. Google offered prebuilt examples such as a learning coach, brainstorming assistant, career guide, coding partner, and editor, and users could create their own running coach, nutritionist, or vacation planner and share them with others. The shutdown comes as competitors push all-in-one agents like Meta's Muse and Instinct, which may make standalone custom assistants less central.
Under the new system, users will type a forward slash in a task thread to select a skill. TechCrunch notes that this interface is more familiar to engineers than to typical consumers. The move also adds to Google's pattern of renaming and merging features, which the publication says has been a problem long before the AI era.