Gemini Skills vs Gems: What Changes, Migration Dates and How to Prepare

When does your account lose Gems?

Choose the account you sign in to Gemini with. The checker shows your dates and the steps that matter most.

What are Gemini Skills?

A Skill is a saved set of instructions that tells Gemini how to handle a repeat task. You save it once and use it in any chat by typing / and the Skill name. Google says the slash will later change to an at sign. Gemini can also use a Skill by itself when it decides the Skill fits your prompt.

Google’s examples include matching your writing style, preparing a presentation and getting several viewpoints on a decision. You can add reference files such as plain text, PDFs and images, and you can ask Gemini to build a Skill from a chat.

Gemini Skills vs Gems: what changes

The practical difference is the model. A Gem is a separate assistant. A Skill is an instruction module that you bring into the conversation you are already in.

When are Gemini Gems going away?

There is no single shutdown date. Google removes Gems at different times by account type.

What happens to your existing Gems?

Google says it will automatically recreate your Gems as Skills when Gems go away. Its Workspace guidance gives more detail:

• Draft status. Migrated Gems arrive as inactive drafts. You review and activate each one before you can use or share it.
• What carries over. Names, descriptions, instructions and uploaded knowledge files.
• Sharing. Drive permissions and sharing settings transfer to the matching Skill.
• More detail coming. Google says it will publish full migration details at least 30 days before automatic migration starts.

Google’s public help page for personal accounts says Gems are recreated as Skills but does not say whether they arrive as drafts. Check the status of each Skill once it appears.

What Skills cannot do yet

• Canvas, Deep Research, Create video, Create music and Guided Learning do not work with Skills for now.
• GitHub files are not supported in Skills.
• Sharing, Google Drive files and Gemini Notebook files are not available yet. Google says they are coming in the next few weeks.
• File types: you can upload plain-text files, PDFs and images. Word and Excel files are not supported.
• Scripts that need internet access are not supported.

Skills do work with Connected Apps such as Workspace apps. The missing features may arrive later, so treat today’s list as a snapshot.

Skills can be stacked and used automatically

Say you want Gemini to follow your writing style and your company’s brand guidelines. With Skills you keep those as two Skills and use both in the same task. One controls voice and the other controls the rules. With Gems you would need one Gem that tried to hold everything.

Gemini can also apply a Skill without you naming it. It only does this for Skills that are turned on, and it asks before turning one back on if you call a Skill you switched off. Write a clear description of when the Skill should apply, because Gemini uses it to decide.

How to create a Skill

You need to be 18 or over, signed in to Gemini with a personal Google Account, and have Keep Activity turned on. For now Skills are not available when you sign in with a work or school account in the public rollout. Google’s blog says support for under-18 users is coming.

1. Go to gemini.google.com, or open the Gemini app on a Mac.
2. Open Settings, then Skills.
3. Choose Create with Gemini, pick a template, choose Create manually, or upload a file.
4. Add a name, a description and instructions. Names use lowercase words joined by hyphens.
5. Click Create. Turn the Skill on if you want Gemini to use it automatically.

Google’s tips for good Skills are to say when Gemini should use it, keep the instructions short, and include examples of the output you want.

Upload rules

• Upload a SKILL.md file, or a folder or zip with SKILL.md in its main folder.
• The total size of the files can be up to 100 MB.
• To change reference files later, upload the whole Skill again.
• Upload is currently available on the Gemini web app and the Gemini app on Mac.

How to move a Gem to a Skill yourself

You do not have to wait for the automatic move. Google’s steps work on a computer.

1. Go to gemini.google.com, open the sidebar, then Gems, and click Edit on the Gem.
2. If the Gem has knowledge files, download each one into a new folder. Name the folder in lowercase with hyphens, for example sample-skill-name.
3. In a second tab, open Settings, then Skills, and click Create manually.
4. Copy the Gem’s name, description and instructions into the Skill, then click Create.
5. If you have files, download the Skill. It arrives as a zip containing SKILL.md. Put that file in your folder.
6. On the Skills page, open the Skill’s actions and choose Replace skill, then upload the folder. The folder name must match the Skill name.
7. Test the Skill on the real task you run through the Gem.

Gemini app Skills and Workspace Skills are separate

Google says Skills do not currently sync between the Gemini app and Workspace apps. If you need a Skill in both places, you recreate it in each. Gems cannot be used in Workspace apps at all.

Workspace Studio has its own change. Users can no longer add the Ask a Gem step to new flows. Existing flows keep working until the cutoff, then stop. Flow owners should replace those steps with Skills or other actions using Google’s Studio transition guide.

What to do before your Gems are migrated

1. List your Gems. Mark which ones your work depends on.
2. Test a Skill version of each important Gem and compare the output.
3. Check the tools. If a Gem uses Canvas, Deep Research, video, music or Guided Learning, do not assume the Skill will match.
4. Save your knowledge files. Keep your own copies of source material.
5. Fix Studio flows that use Ask a Gem.
6. Review migrated Skills when they appear, and activate the ones you want.

Who needs to act now?

Are Gemini Skills free?

Google says Skills are available without a Google AI subscription and can be used in your chats. Gemini Spark tasks and schedules are a different feature, and they need a subscription that supports Spark. Google also says Skills in Workspace apps need an eligible Workspace edition or add-on, such as Business Starter, Standard or Plus, Enterprise Standard or Plus, Google AI Pro for Education, or AI Expanded Access.

Do Skills work on mobile?

Skills are available in the Gemini mobile app, the Gemini app on Mac and the web app. Google lists two known problems. Skills you create manually do not save in the mobile app, and Skills with uploaded files cannot be edited in the mobile app or on Mac. Until Google fixes them, create or edit those Skills in the web app, or create the Skill by asking Gemini in a chat.

The simplest way to think about it

Gems were custom assistants. Skills are reusable instruction modules. Instead of opening a dedicated assistant each time, you bring the right instructions into the chat you are already having, and you can combine several when a task needs them.

Gemini Skills vs Gems: FAQ