I downloaded Google’s Gemini app on the iPhone for free – and it nearly replaces Siri for me

Google’s Gemini app is now accessible to obtain on the iPhone App Retailer — after being noticed in areas just like the Philippines a couple of days in the past. 

Beforehand unique to Android gadgets, the devoted app for the search big’s synthetic intelligence assistant permits customers to sort in prompts, leverage its multimodal capabilities, and even converse with Gemini Dwell for extra pure exchanges. Notably, the Gemini app is a extra streamlined means for iOS customers to dial into Google’s AI chatbot, which beforehand required opening the extra generalized Google Search app to entry.

You possibly can obtain the Gemini app totally free by looking for it within the App Retailer, and the one requirement to make use of the AI options is a Google account. I have been testing the app for the previous hour, and it is practically similar in perform and consumer interface to its Android counterpart, which is nice to see. Actually, if you happen to’re on a Gemini Superior plan, which supplies you entry to a extra succesful Gemini 1.5 Professional mannequin and different cross-platform integrations, that, too, will perform the identical on the iOS app. 

In contrast to the present model of Siri (even if you happen to’re on iOS 18), Google’s Gemini AI is noticeably extra succesful, with the power that will help you determine objects in pictures, play music on YouTube, and even fireplace up a Google Doc at your command. 

I have to say, telling a voice assistant on an iPhone to start out a Google Maps navigation seems like probably the most rebellious factor, nevertheless it’s working nice on my iPhone 16 Professional, and plenty of customers will probably recognize these expanded capabilities simply as a lot.

The draw back of utilizing Gemini on the iPhone is that it will possibly’t alter or modify on-device settings and apps, like serving to you set alarms or change to totally different focus modes. (You possibly can nonetheless use Siri for these, to be clear). 

In the end, the Google voice assistant’s devoted app makes it simpler for iPhone customers to entry it proper from their residence screens and, in the event that they’re feeling adventurous, through the Motion button. If the buy-in from customers is there, it is a main win for Google.