Google is replacing Gemini's Gems (personal assistants that save your instructions) with skills. For personal Google accounts, Gems will end in November 2026, and any Gems still in use at that point will be automatically rebuilt as skills. This article uses Google's help pages and announcements (verified October 21, 2026) to explain when Gems end, what moves over automatically and what doesn't, how to move your Gems yourself in advance, how to create and use skills, and what skills still can't do.

When

Personal accounts: November 2026

Gems end for work accounts (business and nonprofit) no earlier than March 1, 2027, and for school accounts no earlier than June 1, 2027.

Gem contents

Moved automatically to skills

Instructions and knowledge files in supported formats move over. Google Labs Gems do not move and will end.

Skills

Usable in any chat

You can call a skill by typing "/", or Gemini can use it automatically when it's relevant. Multiple skills can be combined. Skills are available on the free plan.

Contents

1. When Do Gems End?

When Gems end depends on which account you use to sign in to the Gemini app.

AccountWhen Gems end
Personal Google accountNovember 2026 (no specific date has been announced)
Google Workspace for business and nonprofitsMarch 2027 (no earlier than March 1)
Google Workspace for educationJune 2027 (no earlier than June 1). Gems in Google Classroom and other services also end at this time.

According to Google Workspace's announcement, Gems will move into the "Settings" section of the Gemini app on November 17, 2026, which is before the end date. After that date, you can still create, edit, and use Gems. Skills themselves began rolling out in the Gemini app on October 13, 2026, and are expected to reach everyone by mid-November.

Sources: About the transition from Gems to skills (Gemini Apps Help) and Introducing skills in the Gemini app and Workspace, plus what's next for Gems (Google Workspace Updates, updated October 13, 2026). Verified October 21, 2026.

2. What Moves Automatically and What Doesn't

When Gems end, Google automatically rebuilds the remaining Gems as skills. You don't need to do anything, and the contents of your Gems are not lost.

Moves: Gem instructionsThe name, description, and instructions become a skill. For work and school accounts, they move as a draft skill.
Moves: knowledge filesFiles in formats that skills support (text, PDF, images, etc.) move along with the skill.
Does not move: GitHub filesSkills do not currently support files from GitHub.
Does not move: Google Labs GemsGoogle Labs Gems, which build mini apps, and Opal will end in November and will not be moved to skills.
Does not move: cross-app syncSkills in the Gemini app do not sync with skills in Workspace apps such as Gmail and Docs. If you want to use skills in both places, create them in each one.

Word and Excel files (.docx and .xlsx) can't be uploaded to skills. If your Gems include these files, convert them to PDF or text so they will still work after the move.

Sources: About the transition from Gems to skills, Create & manage skills for Gemini Apps (Gemini Apps Help), and Let skills in Gemini tackle your most repetitive tasks (Google).

3. Differences Between Gems and Skills

Both let you save instructions you use often, but they work differently.

DifferenceGemSkill
Where you use itYou open the Gem and chat inside itYou can use it in any regular chat
How you call itSelect the Gem from a listType "/" (which will change to "@" later) and the skill name in the input field, or Gemini uses it automatically when relevant
CombiningOne at a timeYou can combine multiple skills in one chat
FormatOnly within GeminiUses SKILL.md, an open format, so you can import skills created in other services
Past chatsEach Gem has its own listThere is no dedicated list. Chats appear in your regular chat list.

SKILL.md is also the format used for Anthropic's Claude skills. For how Claude's skills work, see What Are Claude Skills (Agent Skills)?.

4. How to Move Your Gems Yourself in Advance

If you want to start using skills before November, you can rebuild your Gems in a desktop browser (gemini.google.com) using the steps below. These are the steps described in Google's help pages.

  1. Open the Gem and save its knowledge files Open the sidebar, select "Gems," and click the edit icon for the Gem you want to move. If there are files under "Knowledge," open and download each one, then create a new folder on your computer and put them in it. Name the folder using only lowercase letters and hyphens, the same as a skill name (for example, weekly-report).
  2. Create the skill in a new tab Open gemini.google.com in another tab, go to the "Skills" page, and click "Create manually." Copy and paste the Gem's name, description, and instructions, then click "Create." The name will be automatically corrected to the proper format. If there are no files, you're done.
  3. If there are files, replace the skill On the "Skills" page, open "Skill actions" for the skill you created and click "Download." Put the SKILL.md from the downloaded .zip file into the folder you created in step 1. Then open "Skill actions" for the same skill, select "Replace skill," and upload the folder.

The location of the "Skills" page differs depending on the help page. The migration help page says "Settings in the sidebar → Skills," while the skill creation help page says "Customize in the sidebar (or under More if you can't find it) → Skills." If you can't find it, check both.

Sources: About the transition from Gems to skills and Create & manage skills for Gemini Apps (Gemini Apps Help). Verified October 21, 2026.

5. How to Create and Use Skills

To use skills, you must be 18 or older, be signed in to the Gemini app, and have "Keep Activity" turned on. You can use skills without a paid Google AI plan. For now, you can use skills in the mobile app, the Mac app, and the browser (gemini.google.com).

There are four ways to create a skill.

Create it by talking with GeminiOn the "Skills" page, select "Create" and then "Create with Gemini." Describe what you want the skill to do, and Gemini will turn it into a skill.
Start from a suggested templateChoose a template under "Recommended" on the "Skills" page, edit the name, description, and instructions, then select "Create."
Start from scratchSelect "Create," then "Create manually," and write the name, description, and instructions.
Upload filesChoose a SKILL.md file, a folder with SKILL.md at the top level, or a .zip file. The total limit is 100 MB.

You can also create a skill in a regular chat by asking, "Turn these instructions into a skill."

There are three ways to use skills.

  • Call it yourself: Type "/" in the chat input field and select a skill
  • Used automatically: Skills that are turned on are chosen and used by Gemini when a request is relevant
  • Use multiple skills together: For example, use a "writing style" skill and a "company style guide" skill in the same request

There is no limit on how many skills you can create, but you can have up to 100 skills turned on at the same time. If you don't want a skill to be used automatically, you can turn it off on the "Skills" page. You can only turn skills on or off and delete them on the "Skills" page, not in chat. Deleting a skill cannot be undone.

Sources: Create & manage skills for Gemini Apps and About the transition from Gems to skills (Gemini Apps Help).

6. How to Write a Good Skill: Before You Move Gem Instructions As They Are

Gem instructions are written with the assumption that they are read only when you open that Gem. Skills work differently. According to Google's help pages, Gemini first looks only at a skill's name and description to decide whether it's relevant to the current request. It reads the full instructions only when it decides the skill is relevant, and it opens attached files only when they are needed. So if you paste your Gem instructions as they are, a vague description can mean the skill is not used in the situations where you want it.

Start the name with a verb for what it doesUse lowercase letters and hyphens, and describe the action. Avoid broad words like helper, tools, or data (for example, use plan-meal-from-recipe instead of recipe-data).
Make the description specific about when to use itWrite one or two sentences in the third person describing what the skill does, followed by "Use when..." and a list of situations. Descriptions can be up to 1,024 characters.
Make the instructions a quick referenceYou don't need long general explanations. Keep only the steps, output format rules, and common mistakes to avoid, written briefly.
Write for a type of task, not one specific taskTeach a method for creating meal plans and shopping lists from preferences, rather than a shopping list for Tuesday's spaghetti.
Give more detailed steps for tasks that require accuracyBrainstorming project ideas can be loose. For tasks where even small mistakes matter, such as copying numbers or following meeting minute formats, write each step out one by one.
Include an output template and common mistakesWrite out the order of headings in a report or the structure of a post. Put prohibitions such as "don't include personal information" in a separate section.

For example, if you want to move a Gem you used for drafting weekly reports into a skill, you could rewrite it like this (an example created for this article, following Google's tips):

Namedraft-weekly-report (starts with the verb "draft").
DescriptionDrafts a weekly report in a set format from bullet-point notes. Use when writing a weekly report, summarizing a week's work notes, or preparing a progress update for a manager.
InstructionsUse three headings: "Work completed this week," "Plans for next week," and "Issues or concerns." Keep each item to one line, and keep numbers exactly as they appear in the original notes. Do not add anything that isn't in the notes.
Common mistakesAdding achievements that aren't in the notes. Including names or email addresses of people outside the company.

On the other hand, some things don't need to be skills. Google says that tasks you only do once, tasks Gemini handles well without any instructions, and tasks whose steps change often don't need to be skills. If you turn every Gem into a skill, including ones you no longer use, you'll only add more candidates that get used automatically in unrelated situations.

For more on writing instructions, see How to Write Custom Instructions for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Source: Write effective skills for Gemini Apps (Gemini Apps Help). Verified October 21, 2026.

7. What Skills Can't Do Yet

Google says it will bring Gem features to skills "over the coming weeks," but as of October 21, 2026, skills cannot do the following.

Use with some featuresVideo generation, music generation, Canvas, Deep Research, and guided learning cannot be used together with skills. (They can be used with connected apps such as Gmail.)
Share with othersSharing like Gems is planned for a future update.
Add Google Drive filesAdding Drive files and notes from Gemini Notebook is also planned for the future. For now, you can only use files you upload.
Scripts that connect to the internetScripts included in a skill cannot access external websites.
Windows appThe places where skills can be used, as listed in the help pages, do not include a Windows app. On Windows, use the browser.

If you use Gems together with Canvas or Deep Research, it's a good idea to check before November whether skills can do the same things.

Sources: About the transition from Gems to skills and Create & manage skills for Gemini Apps (Gemini Apps Help).

8. What to Do Before November

  1. Count the Gems you use It's enough to move only the Gems you actually use. Either let the automatic migration handle the rest, or delete the ones you don't need before then.
  2. Check your knowledge file formats Word and Excel files and GitHub files will not move. Convert them to PDF or text.
  3. Try turning one frequently used Gem into a skill first Check whether you can call it with "/" and whether it gets used automatically. If it's used too often automatically, narrow down the "when to use it" part of the description.
  4. If you use Google Labs Gems or Opal, look for another option Both will end without moving to skills.
  5. If you have a work or school account, wait for guidance from your administrator These accounts end in 2027. For education accounts, administrators will be notified at least 30 days before the automatic migration.

For other Gemini features and pricing, see What Is Google Gemini? and Gemini Pricing and What You Can Do for Free.

Summary

  • Skills are replacing Gems. Personal accounts lose Gems in November 2026, work accounts in March 2027, and school accounts in June 2027.
  • Remaining Gems are automatically rebuilt as skills when they end. Google Labs Gems and Opal will not move.
  • Skills can be called with "/" in any chat, and Gemini may use them automatically. Multiple skills can be combined, and they are available on the free plan.
  • To move your Gems early, copy the Gem instructions to create a skill, and upload knowledge files together with their folder.
  • Gemini decides whether to use a skill based only on its name and description. When you move a Gem, rewrite the description to be specific about when to use it.
  • For now, skills cannot be used with Canvas, Deep Research, or video generation, and they cannot be shared.

FAQ

Q. If I do nothing, will my Gems be deleted?

A. No. When Gems end, Google automatically rebuilds them as skills. However, Google Labs Gems will end without being moved.

Q. Do I need a paid plan to use skills?

A. No, you can use them on the free plan. Google's help pages say skills can be used without a paid Google AI plan. The requirements are being 18 or older and having Keep Activity turned on.

Q. Can I do everything with skills that I did with Gems?

A. Not yet, as of October 21, 2026. Sharing and adding Google Drive files are planned for the future, and skills cannot be used with Canvas, Deep Research, or video generation.

Q. What if my moved skill isn't being used?

A. Review the description. Gemini decides whether to use a skill based only on its name and description. Add specific situations under "Use when...," or call the skill yourself by typing "/" in the input field.

Q. What if a skill keeps getting used automatically and it's a problem?

A. Turn off that skill on the "Skills" page. Turned-off skills are not used automatically. If you call one with "/", you'll be asked whether to turn it back on.

Sources