iPhone Users Finally Get Google Gemini AI App, Here's What We Know

The Gemini app introduces a new feature which is access to Gemini Live, the bot’s interactive and conversational mode, akin to ChatGPT’s voice chat feature.

In the world of AI chatbots, being everywhere is key. Companies are rushing to create apps for both desktop and mobile to expand their bots' abilities and keep them constantly in front of users. Google’s new Gemini app for iPhone is a great example of this. Quietly released on the App Store this week, the free app is simple and easy to use. It offers a chat window and a history of past conversations.

You can interact with the bot through text, voice, or your camera, and it provides answers. It’s very similar to the Gemini section in the Google app or what you’d find by visiting the Gemini website in a browser. The Gemini app does introduce one new feature: access to Gemini Live, the bot’s interactive and conversational mode, similar to ChatGPT’s voice chat feature. While Android users have had this feature for a few weeks, this is the first time iPhone users can try it. 

The main goal of the Gemini app is to secure a spot on your home screen, making it easy to assign to your Action Button or other quick-access shortcuts on your phone. With just one tap, you can instantly start chatting with the bot. This level of convenience, along with building the habit of regular use, is essential for companies aiming to make chatbot interactions a daily routine for users.

Limitations For iPhone Users

However, like other non-Siri chatbots, Gemini has significant limitations on iPhones. It can’t adjust phone settings or directly control other apps. Its edge lies in its integration with Google’s ecosystem. For instance, you can ask Gemini to play music, and it will launch YouTube Music, or request directions, and it will open Google Maps.

This gives a small preview of Gemini’s broader potential on Android, similar to Apple’s ambitions for Siri—using AI to make smartphones more intuitive and user-friendly. But none of this will matter unless users adopt these bots, and so the competition to claim a spot on your home screen is intensifying.