Google Gemini “Gems” are transitioning to “skills”

Google has announced that they will be retiring Gems in the Gemini web app (gemini.google.com) and replacing them with “skills.” Skills are custom, reusable instructions that guide how Gemini responds to your prompts. You can access the new skills menu by clicking the gear icon in the lower-left corner beside your name and selecting Skills.

Skills have many of the same features as Gems, including the ability to share them with others and add files from Google Drive and notebooks from Gemini Notebook.

Key improvements include:

  • Easier access: Use a skill by typing the @ symbol followed by the skill's name to bring it into any chat. (Previously, Gems could only be accessed via the Gem manager.)
  • Format standardization: Skills use the open, Markdown-native “SKILL.md” standard, making them easier to copy, edit, and reuse across different Gemini workflows or other third-party AI platforms.
  • Skill stacking: You can now combine multiple skills in a single Gemini chat. (You can even reference other skills within a new skill’s instructions to build more complex workflows.)
  • Automatic use: Gemini recognizes when a skill is relevant to your current prompt and applies it for you automatically.

According to Google, skills will gradually replace Gems in the Gemini web app over the coming months. You can keep creating and using Gems until they are fully retired in the Gemini web app on or after June 1, 2027. However, if you rely on custom Gems, we recommend recreating them as skills ahead of the June 2027 deadline. Google will automatically convert any remaining Gems in your account into draft skills after retirement.

Additional Google resources:

Note that these resources may mention features or services that are unavailable for U-M Google accounts (such as the Gemini LTI and Gemini in Workspace app integrations). You should focus only on the transition of Gems to skills in the Gemini web app.