Last updated: September 29, 2026
The quick answer
Google is retiring Gemini Gems, the custom assistants you set up once and reuse, and replacing them with “skills.” Starting November 17, 2026, Google will automatically convert Gems on personal accounts into skills, and you can keep using your Gems until that happens. The open question is access: creating skills currently appears limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, and Google has not clearly said what free users will get.
What happened
Gems arrived in 2024 as a way to save a set of instructions, such as a writing coach, a study helper or a coding partner, so you did not have to repeat yourself in every Gemini chat. In late September 2026, Google began showing Gemini users a notice that Gems are being replaced by skills, and several outlets, including 9to5Google, Android Authority and TechCrunch, confirmed the change.
According to Google’s notice as reported, the switch is automatic: your Gems will be migrated to skills beginning November 17, 2026, and they keep working until then. The first wave covers personal Google accounts. Work and school accounts are on a later schedule.
Gems vs. skills: what actually changes
Skills are reusable instructions, like Gems, but they work differently inside a chat:
| Gems (old) | Skills (new) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you find them | Opened from the Gemini sidebar as a separate assistant | Called inside any chat by typing a slash (/) and picking one |
| How many at once | One Gem per conversation | Several skills can be combined in one prompt |
| Automatic use | You had to open the Gem | Gemini can apply a relevant skill on its own |
| Who can create them | Available broadly, including free accounts | Currently reported as AI Pro and Ultra only |
The practical upside is flexibility. Instead of jumping into a “Resume Coach” Gem, you could run a resume skill and a tone-of-voice skill together in the same chat. The downside, as TechCrunch pointed out, is that slash commands feel more like a developer tool than something casual users reach for.
What it means for you
If you pay for Google AI Pro or Ultra, this is mostly an upgrade: your Gems carry over and gain the ability to be combined. If you use Gems on a free account, the picture is less clear. Reporting from Android Authority notes that free accounts are currently excluded from creating skills, and Google has not yet confirmed whether migrated skills will remain usable without a subscription. Until Google answers that, it is worth protecting the work you put into your Gems.
What to do before November 17
- Copy your instructions. Open each Gem you rely on, copy its full instructions into a document or note, and give it a clear name. This is your backup if anything goes wrong in the migration.
- Download reference files. If you uploaded files to a Gem as background knowledge, keep your own copies. Reports differ on how fully files carry over, so do not rely on the migration alone.
- Delete what you no longer use. A shorter list of Gems means fewer skills to sort through after the switch.
- Try recreating one as a skill now. If you have AI Pro or Ultra, Google already lets you build skills manually. Rebuilding your most important Gem early lets you check that it behaves the way you expect.
- Watch for Google’s follow-up. If you are on a free account, look out for an official answer on skills access before deciding whether a subscription is worth it for you.
Who it affects and who it doesn’t
- Affects first: people who created or saved Gems on a personal Google account.
- Biggest question mark: free Gemini users, whose long-term access to skills has not been confirmed.
- Affects later: Google Workspace work and school accounts, which follow a separate, later timeline.
- Not affected: people who use Gemini only for regular chats and never set up a Gem.
If you are weighing up AI assistants more broadly, our explainer on OpenAI’s new always-on “dots” agents covers a different approach: assistants that keep working in the background instead of waiting for you to open a chat.
FAQ
Will my Gemini Gems be deleted?
No. Google says Gems will be converted into skills automatically starting November 17, 2026, and you can use them normally until your account is migrated. Keeping a copy of your instructions is still a smart precaution.
Do I need to pay to use Gemini skills?
Right now, reports indicate that creating skills requires a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan. Google has not clearly stated whether free users will be able to use their migrated Gems as skills, so check for an official update before November 17.
How do I use a skill in Gemini?
Type a slash (/) in the Gemini chat box and choose the skill you want. You can combine more than one in the same prompt, and Gemini may also apply a relevant skill automatically.
Sources
- 9to5Google: Gemini app replacing Gems with skills in November
- Android Authority: Google is officially killing Gemini Gems
- TechCrunch: Google is killing off Gemini’s Gems in favor of skills
- Notebookcheck: Google Gemini starts turning your Gems into skills on November 17
- Thurrott: Google Gemini’s custom Gems are being replaced with skills
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