It's been two years since Google launched Gems in Gemini, and it seems the feature has had its run. The feature is now going into the graveyard as the company renames it to Skills starting November 17, 2026, with all existing Gems migrating automatically.
Not all diamonds are forever, it seems
A banner Android Authority spotted in the Gemini web app confirmed that Gems are being renamed to Skills starting November 17, 2026. Shortly after this announcement, Google's own support page detailed the full transition.
Creating and editing Gems will stop being possible after October 13, 2026, ahead of the full rename. Skills carry forward everything Gems did but with three improvements. You can call one in the middle of a chat with Gemini by typing a slash (/) followed by its name, although it'll soon switch to the @ symbol.
Later this year, we're transitioning from Gems to skills to give you an even better, more flexible way to customize Gemini. Skills will let you do more, like using them right in your current chat without having to switch tabs. You can also stack multiple skills together, to create even more customized workflows.
Google.
Gemini can also automatically detect when a Skill is relevant to your prompt and apply it without you having to invoke it manually. Plus, you can stack multiple Skills in a single conversation to handle more complex tasks, which is something Gems didn't support.
If you want to move earlier, you can manually recreate them with the steps mentioned on the support page. Google says you can create an unlimited number of new Skills in Gemini, but can only switch on and use one at a time.
You must disable an active Skill to free up the slot, then enable the new one. The app doesn't delete the disabled Skill.
Skills also require you to have Keep Activity on. Keep Activity is a Gemini setting that allows the app to save your conversation history and use it to personalize your experience.
With the feature off, Gemini runs in a more private mode with no memory between sessions, and won't remember which Skills you've created or when to suggest them.
You need to be 18 or older with a personal Google account to use Skills, with support for work and school accounts coming later. Google expands on the best ways to squeeze value out of it here.
Competition may have devalued Gems
Google didn't give a public reason for retiring Gems. But it may be that competitive pressure from more proactive agents like Meta's Muse is a factor. Meta's Muse can already join a meeting, take notes, draft a follow-up email, and schedule the next one without human intervention.
Gems had allowed users to build custom AI assistants for specific tasks. However, you had to open them specifically or select them before they would apply their custom instructions to your conversation.
Skills are more like the proactive agents, even though it builds on the same idea as Gems. Gemini reads your prompt, decides on its own that a Skill you have created is relevant, and applies it automatically without you having to call it up. You could still invoke one manually, although now, it's not as necessary.
