How to Convert Gemini Gems to Skills Before 17 November
Google is replacing Gemini Gems with skills: Gems turn read-only on 17 November 2026. Here is what carries over and how to convert your Gems to skills step by step.
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You can convert Gemini Gems to the new skills feature yourself today, or let Google do it automatically. For personal Google accounts, Gems become read-only on 17 November 2026 and are removed on 17 December 2026, when they are turned into skills. Converting early lets you check that your instructions and files came across correctly.
This guide explains what changes, what carries over, and the exact steps to move a Gem, including its knowledge files, into a skill on the Gemini web app.
Quick summary
- 17 Nov 2026: Gems on personal accounts (18+) become read-only. You can view them but not use, edit or create them.
- 17 Dec 2026: Gems are removed and automatically recreated as skills.
- Carries over: name, description, instructions and supported knowledge files up to 100 MB in total.
- May not carry over: unsupported file types and some Gem tools such as Canvas and Deep Research.
- How to use a skill: type
/in the chat box and pick it, or let Gemini use it automatically.
What are Gemini skills, and why are Gems going away?
Skills are saved sets of instructions, and optional reference files, that teach Gemini how to do a specific task your way. They do the same basic job as Gems, but they work differently in practice: instead of opening a separate Gem, you call a skill inside any chat, and you can combine more than one skill in a single task. Gemini can also pick an activated skill on its own when it fits what you asked.
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According to Google’s help pages, skills are available now to anyone aged 18 or over with a personal Google Account, without a paid Google AI plan. You need to be signed in with Keep Activity turned on. You can create as many skills as you like, but only 100 can be active at a time.
Gems to skills timeline for each account type
The 17 November date applies only to personal accounts. Work and school accounts move later, so check which kind of account your Gems are saved in.
| Account type | What happens | When |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Google Account (18+) | Gems become read-only | 17 November 2026 |
| Personal Google Account (18+) | Gems removed and converted to skills | 17 December 2026 |
| Personal accounts of users under 18 | Transition later | No date announced |
| Google Workspace business, enterprise and non-profit | Transition | March 2027 |
| Google Workspace education | Transition | June 2027 |
Google also says Opal and Gems by Google Labs are shutting down in November 2026. If your business uses Gemini inside Google Workspace, there is time to plan, and an admin can try skills on a personal account first.
What carries over when Gems convert automatically
Most simple Gems will convert cleanly. Gems that rely on special tools or older file formats are the ones to check by hand.
| Carries over | Does not carry over |
|---|---|
| Gem name | GitHub files |
| Description | Audio and video files |
| Instructions | Legacy Office files (.doc, .xls, .ppt) |
| Supported knowledge files, up to 100 MB in total (largest files dropped first if over) | Archives (.zip, .rar, .7z and similar) |
| Gem tools skills don’t support yet, such as video and music creation, Canvas, Deep Research and Guided Learning |
If you want to keep the original files attached to your Gems, Google advises downloading them before 17 December 2026.
How to convert Gemini Gems to skills manually
Use the Gemini web app (gemini.google.com) on a computer, because adding files to skills currently works only on the web app and the Gemini app for Mac.
Step 1: Copy the Gem’s details and files
- Open the Gem and click Edit.
- Copy its name, description and instructions into a text file.
- Download any Knowledge files and put them in one folder. Name the folder in lowercase with hyphens, for example
invoice-checker.
Step 2: Create the skill
- In the Gemini sidebar, click Customize (click More first if you don’t see it), then click Skills at the top.
- Click Create > Create manually.
- Paste the name, description and instructions, then click Create.
Step 3: Add the knowledge files (if the Gem had any)
- On the Skills page, hover over the new skill and click More > Download. You get a .zip file.
- Unzip it and move the
SKILL.mdfile into your Gem files folder. - Back on the skill, click More > Replace skill, select the folder and upload it. The folder name must match the skill name.
Remove hidden system files such as .DS_Store before uploading, and keep the whole skill under 100 MB.
How to use, edit and switch off a skill
Once a skill exists, you don’t need to open it separately. Everything happens in a normal chat or from the Skills page.
- Use it: type
/(or@if you have the updated shortcut) in the chat box and select the skill. You can add more than one skill to the same task. - Let Gemini choose: activated skills can be used automatically when they match your request.
- Edit it: Customize > Skills > click the skill, change the Description or Instructions, then click Save. You can also choose More > Edit with Gemini.
- Turn it off: click the skill, then More > Deactivate.
- Delete it: hover over it on the Skills page and choose More > Delete. This can’t be undone.
Prefer not to write instructions from scratch? On the Skills page, choose Create > Create with Gemini and describe what you want in a chat, or start from one of the recommended templates. For more ways to get creative output from AI chatbots, see our guide to the ChatGPT GIF maker and our explainer on Google Dreambeans in India.
If something doesn’t work
- No Skills option: make sure you are on a personal account, signed in, aged 18+, and that Keep Activity is on. Work and school accounts get skills later.
- Upload rejected: check that
SKILL.mdis in the root of the folder and the name uses lowercase and hyphens only. - File not accepted: convert old .doc, .xls or .ppt files to .docx, .xlsx or .pptx, or to PDF.
- Can’t add files on your phone: file uploads for skills currently work only on the web app and the Mac app.
If you also publish content and want to control how AI companies use it, read our guide to the AI training opt-out robots.txt rule.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my Gemini Gems?
No. Google says Gems are automatically recreated as skills when they are removed. Unsupported files and some tools may not come across, so check important Gems yourself.
Do I need Google AI Pro to use Gemini skills?
No. Google’s help page says skills work without a Google AI subscription for eligible personal accounts.
Can I still use my Gems after 17 November?
On personal accounts you can view them, but you can’t use, edit or create them. Copy what you need before then.
How many skills can I have?
You can create unlimited skills, but only 100 can be active at the same time.
Bottom line
If you rely on a few Gems every day, convert them before 17 November so you can keep working without a gap and check that nothing was lost. Simple Gems can be left to Google’s automatic conversion, but download any knowledge files you want to keep before 17 December.
Sources
- Gemini Apps Help: About the transition from Gems to skills
- Gemini Apps Help: Create & manage skills for Gemini Apps
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