Blog · Last checked 15 October 2026
Gemini Gems Are Becoming Skills: What Changes and How to Switch (2026)
Short answer: Google is replacing Gems with "skills", which are saved instructions Gemini can use in any chat. Gems go away for personal Google accounts from November 2026, and Google will turn any you have left into draft skills automatically. You can move them yourself today in a few minutes (Gemini Help).
What is a Gemini skill?
A skill is a set of reusable instructions, plus optional files, that teaches Gemini how you like a job done. Google says you can "save your most-used instructions once and run them endlessly" (Google). Unlike a Gem, you don't switch into a separate chatbot. You type / in any chat to pick a skill, or Gemini picks it up automatically when it's relevant. You can also combine several skills in one task (Gemini Help).
How is a skill different from a Gem?
| Gems | Skills | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Its own separate chat | Any chat, or a task |
| How you use it | Open the Gem | Type /, or Gemini uses it automatically |
| Use more than one at once | No | Yes |
| Format | Locked inside Gemini | The open SKILL.md format, which also works in Claude, ChatGPT and others (Google Workspace Updates) |
| Needs a paid plan | No | No. "Skills are available without a Google AI subscription" (Gemini Help) |
When do Gems go away?
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 13 Oct 2026 | Skills start rolling out in the Gemini app, completing by mid-November |
| 17 Nov 2026 | Gems move into the Settings panel. You can still use and edit them |
| November 2026 | Gems removed for personal Google accounts |
| From 1 Mar 2027 | Gems removed for Workspace business, enterprise and non-profit accounts |
| From 1 Jun 2027 | Gems removed for Workspace education accounts |
Sources: Google Workspace Updates, Gemini Help.
Will I lose my Gems?
No. Google says it will "automatically recreate your Gems as skills" when Gems go away. They arrive as draft skills, which you'll need to review and switch on (Gemini Help). One catch for work accounts: skills don't sync between the Gemini app and Workspace apps yet, so you'd recreate them in Workspace separately (Google Workspace Admin Help).
How do I move a Gem to a skill myself?
- Open your Gem, then copy its instructions.
- Go to gemini.google.com, click Customize in the sidebar, then Skills.
- Create a skill from a blank template, paste the instructions, and give it a clear description of when to use it.
- If your Gem had knowledge files, download them, then upload the skill again as a folder containing SKILL.md and those files. The folder name must match the skill name (Gemini Help).
You need to be 18 or over and have Keep Activity switched on. For now, skills work on the web, the Gemini mobile app and the Mac app (Gemini Help).
How do I upload a SKILL.md to Gemini?
On the Skills page, click Upload and choose a SKILL.md file, or a folder or zip with SKILL.md in its main folder. Review it, then click Create. The name inside SKILL.md must be lowercase with hyphens (like weekly-meal-plan). Text files, PDFs and images are fine; .docx and .xlsx aren't, and the total must be under 100 MB (Gemini Help).
What makes a good skill (or Gem replacement)?
Most old Gems were a paragraph of vague instructions. A good skill is specific about you:
- Who you are: "I run a two-person cleaning business in Leeds."
- What good looks like: "Replies under 120 words, warm but firm, UK spelling."
- Your rules: "Never offer a discount without asking me first."
- When to use it: "Use when I paste a customer email or ask for a reply."
That last line matters most, because it's how Gemini knows to switch the skill on by itself.
Is there a faster way?
Yes. MakeASkill asks you a few quick questions about you and the job, then writes a personal skill for you, free. It works with Gemini and whichever other AI you use. Make my Gemini skill
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