Technology
How to install Google Gemini on your phone
Google didn’t spend any time talking about Android or teasing Pixels at this year’s annual I/O developer conference.
Instead, the entire opening speech was devoted to the AI efforts, mainly through Google Gemini; the multimodal LLM (large language model) launched at the end of 2023 and is now available to users on a wide range of platforms, provided you are in a country where it is available.
How to get Google Gemini on your phone
If you are in a supported country, you can download Google Gemini for free from the Google Play Store. However, it’s worth noting that the unpaid tier isn’t available in certain regions, so you’ll have to pay £18.99/$19.99 per month if you want to use the app.
To download it, simply go to the Play Store and search for ‘Google Gemini’. Tap ‘Install’ next to the relevant result. It’s only 1.46MB in size, so it won’t last long.
How to switch back to the Google Assistant
If you want access to Google Assistant-specific features like Routines, prefer the interface and user experience, or simply don’t enjoy the nature of Gemini on-device, you can easily switch back. Here’s how:
- Open the Google Gemini app.
- Tap your Google account profile icon in the top corner of the screen.
- Crane Institutions.
- Tap on ‘Google digital assistants’ at the bottom of the Gemini settings list.
- Tap Google Assistant
- Crane ‘Switch’ at the next pop-up prompt.
- You’ll be returned to your device’s home screen and Google Assistant will be restored.
How to access Google Gemini on iPhone
Currently, there’s no easy way to get Google Gemini within Google’s iOS app if you’re not in a supported market, but you can at least create a web app shortcut on your home screen.
- Navigate to gemini.google.com in your iPhone’s web browser.
- Once loaded (also make sure you’re signed in with your Google account), tap ‘iOS’ share icon.
- Scroll through the next submap until you find ‘Add to home screen’ and tap that.
- You can then change the name of the shortcut earlier by tapping ‘Add’ in the corner of the screen.
- A shortcut to the Google Gemini web app will then be on your iPhone’s home screen.
It’s worth noting that the way users interact with Gemini will undoubtedly change over time. Google will look to integrate the experience on Android more closely, and there’s a good chance that the Google app on iOS will simply be replaced with a standalone Gemini app, but for now the company seems more concerned with building out its AI efforts than ensuring that EU regulators do the same. Cheerful.
