Transition to Skills
As all-in-one AI agents evolve across the industry, Google announced it is shutting down the Gemini feature known as Gems, which allowed users to build custom AI assistants for specific tasks. User work invested in creating Gems will not be lost, as they are scheduled to be automatically migrated to a new skills format usable across different AI tasks.
Notifications in the Gemini app indicate that Gems will convert to skills starting on November 17, 2026. Google stated that the automated migration requires no manual user action, and existing Gems remain functional until the transition date.
History of Gems
Introduced in 2024, Gems were designed to help users configure their AI for recurring tasks without repeating instructions. Pre-made options included learning coaches, brainstorming assistants, career guides, coding partners, and editors, while users could also build custom tools like running coaches or vacation planners for personal use or sharing.
Image Credits:Google
Interface Changes
The wind-down reflects ongoing adjustments to Google's feature branding and app navigation strategy, which has frequently seen features merged or repositioned over time.
Even in the new skills format, accessing former Gems requires entering a forward slash in a task thread to select the desired skill, relying on a command-based user interface rather than open-ended chatbot prompts.
The deprecation of Gems was initially identified through app code analysis.
