Google has rolled out the Gemini app for iOS users globally, days after being reportedly spotted in a test run in select regions. It enables users to generate images using its multi-modal capabilities, find information across apps like Gmail and YouTube, or enable problem-solving via image queries. The iOS app also carries Gemini Live — Google's two-way voice chat feature for its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that lets both the user and the AI converse via speech.
Gemini Live on iOS
Google detailed the introduction of the dedicated Gemini for iOS app in a blog post. The Mountain View-based technology giant says it has been rolled out to provide a more streamlined experience to iPhone users. The app is available free of cost on the App Store and is claimed to enable easy access to features that “help improve learning, creativity and productivity.” It is powered by the Gemini family of large language models (LLMs), including Gemini 1.5.
Gadgets 360 staff members were able to verify its availability on the App Store.
One of its most notable features is Gemini Live. Introduced at the Google I/O event in August, it lets users converse with the AI chatbot via speech. They can choose between 10 different voices to personalise it, with each offering slightly different tonality, pitch, and accent. Gemini Live on the iOS app appears as a waveform icon with the sparkle icon at the bottom-right corner, next to the microphone and camera icons. The company says this feature is meant for chatting, finding answers, or brainstorming ideas. It is currently available in over 10 languages and support for more will be introduced over the coming months.
Gemini for iOS can also generate images, leveraging Google's Imagen 3 generative AI model. Further, it can help in solving problems by providing custom, step-by-step guidance, and presenting tailored study plans. Users can get more information from new sources such as Maps and YouTube, or ask the AI chatbot to summarise their PDFs using Extensions on Gemini for iOS. It currently offers extensions such as Google Flights, Hotels, Workspace, YouTube, and YouTube Music.
While Gemini is free of cost on iOS, it also offers Gemini Advanced with a Google One Premium plan which is priced at Rs. 1,950 per month. This brings advanced capabilities with the Gemini 1.5 Pro model, priority access to new features, a one million context window, and Gemini in Docs, Gmail, and other Google apps.