Google Ditches Gems for Reusable Skills in Gemini Chat
Google has started rolling out reusable skills in its Gemini chat platform, allowing users to create custom instructions that can be run directly inside the chat. The feature will eventually replace Gems, a tool used for tailoring Gemini to specific tasks.
The rollout was announced on September 30, 2026, by Deven Tokuno, Senior Product Manager for the Gemini App. Skills are available across all Google AI subscription tiers and are currently limited to users 18 and older, with access for users under 18 coming soon.
Once a user creates a skill, it can be run again by typing a forward slash and the skill's name directly in the prompt bar. Multiple skills can be combined in a single chat, and Gemini will automatically recognize when a skill is relevant to the current prompt and apply it.