Google made perhaps the biggest AI announcement of 2024 earlier this month by rebranding its year-old chatbot Bard as Gemini and releasing Gemini Advanced. Now, Android users will be able to access the powerful tool via their phones too.
The new change for Android users was announced this week at the Mobile World Congress 2024, along with a raft of other updates from hardware and software manufacturers. The news comes just days after Google launched Gemini Business and Enterprise and expanded, Gemini access to Workspace users in the workplace.
In this short guide, we’ll show you exactly how to access Gemini on Android devices, and what you can do with ChatGPT’s closest rival.
How to Use Gemini AI on Android
There are several different ways to use Gemini on your Android device. The big announcement this week is that users can now use Gemini to draft text messages by selecting “chat with Gemini” within the Google messages app.
However, this is currently only available to Google Beta users, the Independent notes.
But it’s not the only way to use Gemini on Android. You can also use the AI system as a more multi-purpose “personal assistant” externally to your messages, according to Google’s support notes for the app.
First, you’ll need to ensure that the Google app is the default assist app on your phone. To do this, open your device’s settings, and then head on through to “Apps” and then “Default apps”. Change the “digital assistant app” to the Google app.
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Then, you’ll need to either log into the Google Assistant app and accept the invitation to try Gemini, or simply download the Gemini app from the Google Play store.
If you download Gemini via one of the two methods above, you’ve opted in, and it’ll become your default assistant, and will respond if you start a voice command with “Hey Google”. It will then go on to function similarly to the Google Assistant.
If the voice command isn’t working, Google says, tap your profile picture or initial and then “settings”. Then, head to “Google Assistant features in Gemini” and toggle on “Hey Google”.
What Does Gemini on Android do?
With Gemini now integrated into Google’s messages app, you can use it to draft replies to anyone who messages you, directly from the app. Previously, you’d have to go and ask Gemini to generate a response and then copy and paste it into the text box.
Using Gemini as your Google Assistant, on the other hand, can assist you with a wide range of phone-based tasks. It comes up as an interface overlay when you call on it using a voice command.
Instead of going through a process like finding the full address of a restaurant and then plugging it into Google Maps, you’ll be able to message Gemini or just ask via voice command. You could also get it to create a caption for a photo saved in your gallery.
The actual Gemini app, on the other hand, can help with everything from generating images to writing, brainstorming, learning, and finding information stored in your Gmail or Google Drive quickly. It can also generate images.
While ChatGPT easily stole the show in 2023, so far, these exciting developments suggest Gemini might be ready to give OpenAI a run for its money over the next few months.