Google is replacing Gemini Gems with Skills, and the deadline is closer than it looks: for personal accounts, Gems go read-only on November 17, 2026, and disappear entirely on December 17. The good news is that Skills are not harder to use than Gems — in some ways they are simpler. A Skill is a saved set of instructions that tells Gemini how to handle a task, and once you create one, you can call it up in any chat instead of retyping the same long prompt every time.
This guide walks you through creating your first Skill, using it in a chat, managing it later, and saving anything your old Gems still hold. It takes about five minutes, and everything here works in the free Gemini app — no paid subscription is needed.
Key Takeaways
- What a Skill is: A reusable set of instructions that tells Gemini how to handle a recurring task — tone, format, rules and reference files, saved once and reused in any chat.
- Where Skills work: The Gemini mobile app, the Gemini app on Mac, and the Gemini web app. They are rolling out gradually, so the controls may not appear for every account on the same day.
- The deadline: Personal-account Gems go read-only on November 17, 2026 and are removed on December 17, 2026. Google will recreate your Gems as skills automatically, but some files do not survive the move.
- Cost: Skills are free in regular Gemini chat. The only gate for personal accounts is being 18 or over.
- How to call a Skill: Type “/” (or “@” on the updated shortcut) in a chat thread and pick the skill, or let Gemini apply one automatically when it fits your task.
Before You Start: Check That Skills Are Available
Skills are rolling out gradually, so the first step is to check whether your account has them yet. Open the Gemini app on your phone, or gemini.google.com on a computer, and look for the Skills page. If you do not see it, update the Gemini app from the Play Store or App Store first, then check again — Google says the rollout reaches users in waves through mid-November.
You also need to be 18 or over on a personal Google account. That is the only requirement Google lists: no Google AI subscription is needed to create or use Skills in regular Gemini chat.
How to Create a Skill in the Gemini App
There are four ways to create a Skill. The easiest is to ask Gemini to build one for you in a chat, but the manual route gives you the most control.
Method 1: Ask Gemini to create it in a chat
Start a chat in the Gemini app and describe the Skill you want in plain words — for example, “Create a skill that rewrites my emails in a polite, professional tone and keeps them under 150 words.” Gemini will draft the Skill for you, and you can review and adjust it before saving. This is the fastest way to get started, and it works well for simple instructions.
Method 2: Build one from the Skills page
- Open Gemini and go to the Skills page.
- At the top, click Create, then Create manually.
- Enter a name for your Skill, a short description of what it does, and the instructions it should follow. Be specific: name the tone, the format and the rules that matter. A Skill that says “write product descriptions in a friendly tone, under 80 words, with the price first” will serve you far better than one that just says “write product descriptions”.
- Optionally, add reference files at the top by clicking Add — you can upload files from your device, or pull them from Google Drive, Google Photos or NotebookLM.
- When you are done, click Create at the top.
Method 3: Start from a template
On the Skills page, under “Recommended”, pick a prefilled template, then edit its name, description and instructions to fit your task. Templates are a good shortcut when you want a proven starting point rather than a blank page.
Method 4: Upload a SKILL.md file
If you already have a skill from another platform, you can import it. On the Skills page, click Create, then Upload, and select a SKILL.md file, or a folder or .zip file that contains one in its main folder. The Skill name inside the file must use lowercase words separated by hyphens, like “my-new-skill”. Note that this import works on Mac and web only for now, and the total size of all uploaded files must stay under 100 MB.
How to Use a Skill in a Chat
Skills are designed to work in the background across your Gemini chats and tasks. There are two ways to use one:
- Ask Gemini to use it: In a chat or task thread, type “/” (or “@” if you have the updated shortcut), then select the skill you want. Gemini will follow its instructions for that task.
- Let Gemini apply it automatically: Gemini can automatically use a skill that is turned on when it fits the context of your task. You can also combine several skills in a single task — for example, a “Travel Booking” skill and a “Gmail Writing” skill together to rebook a room and send the confirmation.
You can use skills with other skills, and you can reference one skill inside another to build more complex workflows.
How to Manage, Edit or Delete a Skill
Everything is managed from the Skills page. To stop Gemini from using a Skill automatically, turn it off — if you ask Gemini to use a turned-off Skill, it will ask whether you want to turn it back on. To edit a Skill, open it and change its instructions; to update its files, you need to upload the whole Skill with its reference files again, or ask Gemini to update it for you. To delete a Skill, remove it from the Skills page — but note that deleting a Skill cannot be undone.
What to Do With Your Old Gems Before November 17
If you built Gems, do not just wait for Google to convert them. Google says it will automatically recreate your Gems as skills, but files over the 100 MB total Skill limit are dropped, largest first, and some file types do not carry over at all: GitHub files, audio, video, .doc, .xls, .ppt and archive files are left behind.
The safest move is to copy each Gem you still need into a Skill yourself before November 17, while you can still use and edit it, and check that everything you need made the trip. Download any unsupported files from your Gems before December 17 — after that date, you cannot access them at all.
Work and school accounts get more time: Workspace business, enterprise and non-profit accounts transition in March 2027, and education accounts in June 2027.
Tips for Writing a Good Skill
A Skill is only as good as its instructions. Google’s own guidance points to a few habits that make Skills work well: give the Skill a clear name and description so Gemini knows when to apply it; write instructions as concrete rules, not vague wishes; attach reference files — past work, a style guide, a template — so Gemini has something to follow; and test the Skill on a real task, then refine the instructions based on the result. A Skill that handles one job well beats a Skill that tries to do everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Gemini Skills free?
Yes. Skills work in regular Gemini chat without a Google AI subscription. The only gate for personal accounts is being 18 or over, and the rollout is gradual, so the controls may not appear for every account on the same day.
How do I create a Gemini Skill?
Open the Gemini app and go to the Skills page, then click Create and choose Create manually, start from a template, or upload a SKILL.md file. You can also ask Gemini in a chat to create a Skill for you. Enter a name, description and instructions, add reference files if you want, then click Create.
How do I use a Skill in a Gemini chat?
Type “/” (or “@” on the updated shortcut) in a chat thread and select the skill. Gemini can also apply a turned-on Skill automatically when it fits your task, and you can combine multiple skills in one task.
What happens to my Gems on November 17, 2026?
For personal Google accounts (18 and over), Gems become read-only on November 17, 2026 — you can still open them, but you cannot use, edit or create them. They are removed from Gemini Apps on December 17, 2026. Google will automatically recreate them as skills, but some files do not carry over.
Which files do not carry over from Gems to Skills?
GitHub files, audio, video, .doc, .xls, .ppt and archive files do not carry over, and files over the 100 MB total Skill limit are dropped, largest first. Download anything you still need from your Gems before December 17, 2026.
Sources
- Google Support, “Create & manage skills for Gemini Apps”: https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/17094296
- Google Support, “About the transition from Gems to skills”: https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/18560919?hl=en
- XDA Developers, “Gemini is replacing Gems with Skills, so I moved my Claude Code skills over to test them”, Nov 1, 2026: https://www.xda-developers.com/gemini-is-replacing-gems-with-skills-i-moved-claude-code-skills-over-to-test-them/
- Tech Smart Guide, “Google’s Gemini Skills Update Is Live”, Nov 10, 2026: https://techsmartguide24.com/2026/11/10/googles-gemini-skills-update/
