Google is making a change to Gemini that will eventually replace Gems with a new feature called Skills. For Google Workspace for Education users, the transition is currently planned for June 2027.
The good news is that the main idea behind Gems is not going away. Skills will still let you save custom instructions for tasks you use often, but they will work more naturally inside regular Gemini conversations.
What Are Skills?
Skills are reusable instructions that tell Gemini how you want it to complete a task. For example, you could create a Skill for writing family communications, building lesson ideas, creating meeting agendas, or following a specific writing style. Instead of typing the same directions every time, you can save them once and reuse them when needed.
What Will Be Different?
The biggest change is how you access and use them. Today, you usually open a specific Gem and start working inside it. With Skills, you will be able to use them directly in a regular Gemini conversation. You will be able to call a Skill by typing its name, and Gemini may also recognize when one of your Skills fits the task you are working on.
You may also be able to use more than one Skill in the same conversation. That could make it easier to combine different workflows instead of building one large Gem for everything.
What Happens to Existing Gems?
Google plans to automatically move existing Gems into Skills. That means you should not need to rebuild the Gems you have already created. Supported knowledge files connected to your Gems should also move over during the transition.
What About Files?
There are a few limits to be aware of. Skills will support up to 100 MB of files. Some file types may not transfer, including audio, video, compressed files, and older Microsoft Office formats. If you have an important Gem that depends on several uploaded files, it is a good idea to keep copies of those files in Google Drive.
What Should You Do Now?
For now, there is really nothing you need to change. Continue using Gems as you normally do. If you have a Gem that is important to your daily work, take a moment to review the instructions and files connected to it so you know what is there.
Overall, this change is more of an evolution than a complete reset. Google is taking the idea behind Gems and making it easier to use as part of everyday Gemini conversations
