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Google's Gemini App to Replace 'Gems' with 'Skills' Starting November 2026
Key points
- Gems will be migrated to skills starting November 17, 2026.
- Skills offer custom instructions, similar to Gems.
- Skills are invoked with a '/' in the prompt box.
- Multiple skills can be used at the same time.
- Google is discontinuing the Gems feature in Gemini.
- Gems allowed users to create custom AI assistants.
- Gems were launched in 2024.
- Google's pre-made Gems included a learning coach, brainstorming assistant, career guide, coding partner, and editor.
- Custom Gems could be shared with others.
Transition from Gems to Skills
Google announced that the Gemini app will replace its existing "Gems" feature with a new system called "skills." This transition is scheduled to begin on November 17, 2026, at which point existing Gems will be automatically migrated to the new skills format. Users can continue to use their Gems until the migration occurs.
Functionality and Improvements
Both Gems and skills allow users to provide custom instructions to Gemini. Gems previously offered additional capabilities such as setting a default tool (e.g., Create image, Canvas) and attaching specific files for context, as well as sharing via links. Skills, introduced with Gemini Spark, improve accessibility by allowing invocation with a '/' in the prompt box and enabling the use of multiple skills concurrently, which is a change from the previous method of accessing Gems through a side panel.
Current Availability
Currently, Google AI Pro or AI Ultra subscribers can create skills by accessing the Gemini Spark tab. Skills can then be used in the main conversational experience by typing a slash in the chat box. Some related features, such as the "Learn more" help article and "Create skills" button, are not yet functional, indicating the announcement may have been released ahead of full implementation.
Updates
- Google is discontinuing the Gems feature in Gemini.
- Gems allowed users to create custom AI assistants.
- Gems were launched in 2024.
- Google's pre-made Gems included a learning coach, brainstorming assistant, career guide, coding partner, and editor.
- Custom Gems could be shared with others.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Google is replacing its 'Gems' feature in Gemini with 'Skills,' which are reusable instructions accessible directly within the chat interface. This change aims to provide a more unified experience and will include automatic migration for existing Gems, with free users gaining access immediately.
Google is discontinuing its "Gems" feature in Gemini, which allowed users to create custom AI assistants. Existing Gems will be automatically migrated to a new "skills" format by November 17, 2026, enabling their use across different AI tasks.
Google's Gemini app will replace its "Gems" feature with "skills" starting November 17, 2026. This change allows for more accessible invocation of custom instructions and the use of multiple skills simultaneously within the Gemini conversational experience.