Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Following a soft launch in select regions, Google has now rolled out its dedicated Gemini app to US-based iPhone users.
- Prior to this release, iOS users were limited to the Gemini tab baked into the existing Google app, which lacks Gemini Live support.
- The new iPhone app supports Gemini Live, the Dynamic Island, purchasing premium memberships, and much more.
Unlike Apple, Google natively offers most of its consumer services on rivaling platforms. When it first launched the Gemini app on Android, however, it restricted iOS users to a secondary tab that lives in the official Google app. So, those interested in relying on the company’s AI had to deal with the bloated web browsing app. Fortunately, that’s no longer the case. Following a soft launch earlier this week, Google has now rolled out its standalone Gemini app to iPhone users in the United States.
As spotted by Android Authority, the official Gemini app is now available to iPhone users with US Apple App Store accounts. The search giant first released the app a few days ago in the Philippines, but it has now expanded its availability to more countries, including the US, Australia, Lebanon, and India — but seemingly not the UK.
Expectedly, the Gemini app for iPhone is free to download and use, but it also offers Gemini Advanced tiers as optional in-app purchases. Once downloaded, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your Google account and agree to the terms of service. Beyond that point, you can send audio or text queries, manage Gemini Extensions, view Gems, and much more.
More importantly, though, the new app lets iPhone users try Gemini Live for the first time, as the Google app doesn’t support this functionality. Once you initiate a conversation, you can leave the app, and a Live Activity will appear in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen. This allows you to pause or end the conversation with Gemini without revisiting the app.
It’s worth noting that while the Gemini app is optimized for iPhone screens, Google still lets you download it on iPads running iPadOS 16.0 or later. It doesn’t look great or take advantage of the larger displays, but it can get the job done for those unhappy with ChatGPT.
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