The dates Google gives
| Accounts | What happens | When |
|---|---|---|
| Personal, 18 or over | Gems turn into skills and become read-only: you can still open them, but not use or edit them, or make new ones | November 17, 2026 |
| Personal, 18 or over | Gems are removed from Gemini Apps | December 17, 2026 |
| Personal, under 18 | Gems move to skills later; Google says it will share details | Not given yet |
| Workspace business, enterprise and non-profit | Gems can no longer be created, edited or used; the remaining ones become draft skills | No sooner than March 1, 2027 |
| Workspace education | The same, and Gems also leave Google Classroom and the learning systems Gemini supports | No sooner than June 1, 2027 |
For work and school accounts, Google's Workspace pages say Gems move to the Settings panel of the Gemini app on November 17, 2026, and can still be created, edited and used until the 2027 dates (About the transition from Gems to skills (Workspace admin help)). Opal and Gems by Google Labs go away in November as well, and Google's blog says the Labs Gems will not move into skills (Let skills in Gemini tackle your most repetitive tasks).
What Google carries over
Google says it turns your Gems into skills automatically, "along with any supported files" (About the transition from Gems to skills). For Workspace accounts, its admin page adds that converted skills keep their original names, descriptions, custom instructions and uploaded knowledge files, arrive as inactive drafts that each creator reviews and activates, and keep the Gem's Drive permissions and sharing settings (About the transition from Gems to skills (Workspace admin help)).
What stays behind
| Part of the Gem | What Google says |
|---|---|
| Audio and video files | Not included in the skill |
| Legacy Office files (.doc, .xls, .ppt) | Not included |
| Archives (.zip, .tar, .7z, .rar, .gz, .tgz) | Not included |
| GitHub files | Not included |
| Files above the 100 MB limit | The largest files are removed first, until the skill is under 100 MB |
| Canvas, Deep Research, Create video, Create music, Guided learning | Most default tools in Gems do not work with skills for now |
| Gems by Google Labs | Turned down, not moved into skills |
On personal accounts, Google says you can download your files from Gems until December 17, 2026. After that, the Gems and their files are no longer available in Gemini Apps (About the transition from Gems to skills).
Who can use skills
- You must be 18 or over, signed in, with Keep Activity on (Create and manage skills for Gemini Apps). Gems were open from age 13, or the age that applies in your country (Use Gems in Gemini Apps).
- No subscription is needed: Google says skills are available without a Google AI subscription.
- You can make as many skills as you like, with up to 100 active at a time (About the transition from Gems to skills).
- On work and school accounts, skills in the Gemini app do not sync with skills in Workspace apps, so a Gem used in Workspace has to be made again in Google Workspace Studio (About the transition from Gems to skills (Workspace admin help)).
How skills differ from Gems
A skill works inside any chat: type / (Google says @ is coming) and its name, or let Gemini pick it when your request fits. You can stack several skills in one chat. Skills use the open SKILL.md format, which Google says lets you move instructions across tools; Claude and ChatGPT use the same format, so the same skill can go to all three (see a Gemini Gem in Claude or ChatGPT).
Save these before December 17
From November 17 a Gem on a personal account is read-only; Google says you can still open it and download its files until December 17.
- Copy the setup. In Gemini, open Gems, then Edit next to the Gem, and copy its name, description and instructions.
- Download the knowledge files. Under Knowledge, click each file, then Download. Keep the ones Google's move leaves out; the steps are in how to export a Gemini Gem.
- Ask Google Takeout for a copy. Its "Gemini" item holds your Gems data, and My Activity, Gemini Apps holds your chats (Download your Gemini Apps data).
- Pack it. Pack your Gem with Skillcase: it marks the files Google's move leaves out, keeps every file in one backup, and makes a skill for Gemini, with Word files turned into text, and one for Claude and ChatGPT.
Pack your Gem before December 17
Paste your Gem's name, description and instructions, add its knowledge files, and download one backup that keeps every file, a skill for Gemini with Word files turned into text, and a skill for Claude and ChatGPT. Skillcase marks the files Google's move leaves out. Free, in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
Questions
Will my Gems be deleted?
On personal accounts, yes: Google says Gems are removed from Gemini Apps on December 17, 2026. On November 17 they turn into skills, so a skill made from each Gem stays, without the files and tools Google does not carry over.
Do I have to do anything?
Google moves Gems to skills on its own. Act if a Gem has audio, video, .doc, .xls or .ppt files, archives or more than 100 MB of files, or relies on Canvas, Deep Research, Create video, Create music or Guided learning: download those files before December 17, 2026.
What happens to Gems on a work or school account?
Google gives no sooner than March 1, 2027 for business, enterprise and non-profit accounts, and no sooner than June 1, 2027 for education. Until then Gems keep working; then the remaining ones become draft skills that their creators activate.
Do Gemini skills cost money?
Google says skills are available without a Google AI subscription. You must be 18 or over, with Keep Activity on.
Sources: Google: About the transition from Gems to skills; Google Workspace: About the transition from Gems to skills (Workspace admin help); Google Workspace Updates: Introducing skills in the Gemini app and Workspace, plus what's next for Gems; Google: Let skills in Gemini tackle your most repetitive tasks; Google: Create and manage skills for Gemini Apps; Google: Use Gems in Gemini Apps; Google: Download your Gemini Apps data. Last checked: October 27, 2026. Skillcase is an independent tool by Peak Apps Studio and is not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Ollama.