Reviewed October 7, 2026. Google is replacing Gemini Gems with skills. If you have saved instructions for writing, research or recurring work, the practical question is what happens to those instructions and when you need to act. This guide separates the announced transition schedule from the features available today.
The featured image is an AI-generated concept illustration, not a screenshot of Gemini.
What is changing?
Google announced skills on September 30, 2026. They are reusable instructions that Gemini can apply when relevant; multiple skills can work together. Think of a Gem as a saved specialist you open and a skill as a focused set of instructions you can reuse across tasks. Availability is rolling out, so an announcement does not mean every account already has the same menu. See Google’s Gemini release notes.
When will Gems transition?
| Account | Google’s announced transition |
|---|---|
| Personal Google Account | November 2026 |
| Workspace business, enterprise and nonprofit | March 2027 |
| Workspace for Education | June 2027 |
Google says existing Gems and supported knowledge files will migrate automatically. You can also recreate instructions manually. Keep a copy of important instructions and check the resulting skill before relying on it for recurring work. GitHub files are not supported. Skills currently do not work with Canvas or Deep Research, and support for music, video and guided learning is not yet available. Those limitations matter if your Gem is part of a more complicated workflow. Source: Google’s Gems transition guide.
How to create a skill on the web
Current eligibility requires a personal Google Account, age 18 or older and Keep Activity enabled. Google lists web, mobile and Mac availability; Windows users can follow the web instructions in a browser. Do not assume the native Windows app has identical support.
- Open Gemini on the web and sign in.
- Open Settings → Skills → Create manually.
- Enter a name, a description explaining when it should apply, and specific instructions.
- Create the skill and test it in a new chat. You can call a skill with / or @, depending on the shortcut available in your interface.
A paid AI plan is not required for skills in chat; Gemini Spark has separate requirements. If manual creation on mobile fails to save, use the web or create the skill in chat. Google also directs users to the web to edit skills with uploaded files. Source: Create and manage skills.
A simple example you can test
Start with a small task whose output you can check. Here is an original instruction example, not a claim that we tested a live account:
Name: Weekly status draft
When to use: Only when I ask for a weekly project update from notes I provide.
Instructions: Organize the supplied notes under Completed, Next and Blockers. Preserve names, dates and numbers. If a fact is missing, write “Not provided.” Do not invent progress, send messages or change connected apps.
Try these sample notes: “Monday: landing page draft complete. Wednesday: pricing still awaiting approval. Next: review on Friday.” Check that the output lists the draft as complete, keeps pricing approval pending and preserves Friday as the next review. A polished paragraph that turns pending approval into completed work fails this test.
Before replacing your everyday workflow
- Check whether the skill appears in the account you actually use.
- Compare its instructions and attached files with your saved Gem.
- Try a normal request and an incomplete request. Look for invented facts.
- Review any sharing and activity settings before adding confidential material.
Skills describe how Gemini should respond; they are not a substitute for checking facts or app permissions. For those separate topics, see our Gemini connected-apps and privacy guide and Gemini on Windows guide.