Google to migrate Gemini’s Gems to skills on Nov 17

Google has announced it will retire Gemini’s Gems feature, which allowed users to create custom AI assistants for specific tasks. Starting November 17, 2026, existing Gems will be automatically migrated to “skills” that can be used across different AI tasks, the company said. Users do not need to take any action, and Gems will remain usable until the transition date.

The change is being communicated through a message in the Gemini app. Gems were launched in 2024 as a way to help users train the AI to perform certain tasks without repeating instructions. Google’s pre-made Gems included a learning coach, a brainstorming assistant, a career guide, a coding partner, and an editor. Users could also create their own Gems, such as a running coach, nutritionist, or vacation planner, and share them with others. Google had hoped sharing would make Gemini more popular.

Even after becoming skills, the former Gems may not be as user-friendly as simply typing into a chatbot. Google notes that users will need to type a forward slash “/” in a task thread to select the skill they want, an interface that tends to appeal more to engineers than to general consumers.