Wear OS loses Google Assistant with no Gemini in sight
Google Assistant has been pulled from the Play Store on Wear OS. And there’s nothing replacing it yet, which leaves users without a native voice assistant they can install.
The app is gone but not quite dead
This isn’t just a region-specific glitch or a temporary removal. The Assistant app for Wear OS has been officially removed from the Play Store for good. If you already have it installed on your watch, it still works. But if you uninstall it or do a factory reset, you’re out of luck unless you’re comfortable sideloading APKs from places like APKMirror.
That feels like an awkward spot for Google to leave things. Especially considering they’ve already announced that Gemini will eventually take over Assistant’s role on watches.
The problem is that Gemini isn’t here yet. There’s nothing you can install or use in its place. So right now, Wear OS users are stuck in a kind of assistant limbo.
No Gemini means no voice assistant at all
This isn’t just about missing a shortcut. Voice assistants on wearables are part of the day-to-day experience. You use them to set timers, reply to messages, get directions or control smart home devices. Without one, that whole part of the OS is missing.
Gemini was name-dropped by Sundar Pichai during Google’s Q1 2025 earnings call. He said it was coming to a range of devices including smartwatches. But he didn’t say exactly when. If Google plans to use a lightweight Gemini variant on watches, it still feels like that transition hasn’t been planned out properly.
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That’s what makes the current situation feel strange. For now, the only workaround is sideloading the Assistant APK. That might work fine for more technical users, but most people won’t go that route.
Source: Google Play Store via Reddit
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