Google Gemini arrives on iPhone as a native app

By Andrew Tarantola Published November 14, 2024

Google announced Thursday that it has released a new native Gemini app for iOS that will give iPhone users free, direct access to the chatbot without the need for a mobile web browser.

The Gemini mobile app has been available for Android since February, when the platform transitioned from the older Bard branding. However, iOS users could only access the AI on their phones through either the mobile Google app or via a web browser. This new app provides a more streamlined means of chatting with the bot as well as a host of new (to iOS) features.

For one, you’ll be able to speak directly with the AI via Gemini Live. This is an entirely new feature for the iOS ecosystem that was previously unavailable through either the Google app or mobile web browser. It can reply in 10 user-selected voices and converse in nearly a dozen languages. On other platforms, Gemini Live can speak in as many as 30 different tongues, so expect the iPhone’s version to add more languages moving forward.

For another, iPhone users will now have access to Imagen 3, Google’s most advanced image generation model, and be able to create AI images from text prompts. Imagen 3’s “enhanced photorealism and accuracy can bring your ideas to life,” the company boasted. Users will also be able to access and integrate Gemini’s functionality into their other Google apps, like YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail, and Calendar through the Extensions feature.  

Google is also positioning Gemini on the iPhone as a potential tutoring and study partner. “Gemini makes learning easier, enabling you to ask questions about any subject and get tailored study plans,” the company wrote in its announcement blog post Thursday. “Gemini can also provide custom, step-by-step guidance that adapts to your learning style, and you can even test your knowledge with quizzes.”

iPhone users can download the Gemini app directly from the App Store.