Google will turn Gemini Gems into skills in November
By Automate Basics, written with AI from TechCrunch's original
Google is replacing Gemini Gems with skills starting November 17, 2026. People who use custom assistants for repeat tasks will have their existing Gems moved automatically, according to a notice reported by TechCrunch.
What is changing with Gemini Gems?
Google is ending Gems as a separate Gemini feature and turning existing Gems into skills, according to TechCrunch. Gems let people save instructions for a particular task instead of giving Gemini the same directions each time. The change is scheduled to start on November 17, 2026, and Gems remain usable until then.
Google says existing Gems will move to the new format automatically, so users do not need to recreate them for the transition. Skills are intended to work across different AI tasks. To use one, Google says a person will enter a forward slash in a task thread and select the skill they want. That is a change worth noting for anyone whose work routine depends on a saved Gem.
Who can use Gemini skills, and what will they cost?
People who already use Gems are the group most directly affected by the move to skills. TechCrunch reports that Google plans to migrate existing Gems automatically, but the source does not specify which Gemini plans will include skills or whether access will have a separate cost. It also does not say whether the change affects how a custom assistant can be shared.
For a team using Gems to keep recurring instructions consistent, the practical point is continuity: saved Gems are not due to be discarded as part of this change. Check your own Gemini access and any team rules before relying on skills for a shared workflow. The report does not provide enough detail to promise that every current way of working with Gems will stay the same.
How do I try Gemini skills at work?
A repeatable, low-stakes task is a sensible first check for a migrated Gemini skill. If you use a Gem to help draft or edit routine material, keep an example of its current output so you can compare it with the skill after the change. Check whether it follows the saved instructions, keeps the right tone and leaves out anything you did not ask it to include.
Google says users will select a skill by entering a forward slash in a task thread. The report gives no further steps, so there is no reason to assume the rest of the workflow will look exactly like Gems. Until the November change, existing Gems remain available. For work containing sensitive information, follow your organisation’s rules about what may be entered into Gemini.
Frequently asked questions
Will my Gemini Gems disappear?
Google says it will automatically move existing Gems into skills starting on November 17, 2026. TechCrunch reports that Gems remain usable until then and that users do not need to take action to make the transition. The report does not say whether every aspect of a Gem will work identically afterward.
How will I select a Gemini skill?
Google says users will enter a forward slash in a task thread to select a skill. Skills will replace Gems, which saved instructions for specific tasks. TechCrunch does not give a fuller walkthrough, so it is worth checking a familiar task once your Gem has been moved.
Does the report say which Gemini plans include skills?
No. TechCrunch reports the planned move from Gems to skills but does not specify eligible plans or pricing. If your workplace relies on Gems, the confirmed change is that Google says existing Gems will move automatically. Availability and cost details are not established by this report.
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Written with AI from TechCrunch's original and published after automatic checks: every figure here appears in the original, and no sentence is copied from it. The picture is AI-generated. The original is the authority.
Source: Google is killing off Gemini’s Gems in favor of ‘skills’, TechCrunch, 28 Sept 2026.