Google’sAI Overviewsin search results might have rubbed people the wrong way, but that hasn’t stopped the company from putting artificial intelligence features, and in particular, its multimodal Gemini model, in basically every product where it could make sense. It’sI/O 2024 conferencewas all about how Gemini was going to be used across Google’s suite andthe upcoming Pixel 9is presumably focused on what running Gemini locally will enable it to do. For the most part, Google’s AI obsession has been concentrated on putting Gemini in productivity apps like Docs or Gmail. But now Gemini has come to an app most people with an Android phone use every day: Google Messages.
Gemini in Google Messages wasoriginally announced at I/O 2024, though you’d be forgiven if you haven’t tried it yet because of all the other places Google surfaces its AI assistant across Android, ChromeOS and the web. Accessing Gemini in Messages comes with its own conveniences, making it easy to have the AI write a message to friends or help you brainstorm your weekend plans – and some limitations too. We’ve put Gemini through its paces in Messages to see how differently it works from the other ways to access it and can show you how to use it for yourself below.
Gemini and Google Workspace can help you be more productive… most of the time
Google’s Gemini is a pro at summarizing Google Docs and emails, but things get a little quirky when it comes to Sheets and other Workspace tools.
How to access Gemini in Google Messages
As simple as starting a chat
Before you can access Gemini inGoogle Messages, you need to make sure you meet some criteria first. Besides running the latest version of Android and the most up-to-date version of Google Messages, you’ll need:
With those taken care of, you’re ready to talk to Gemini in Google Messages. If you’ve already spoken to Gemini, your chat will still be available among your list of chats. To use Gemini in Google Messages for the first time:
Magic Compose, a message rewriting and style tweaking feature Google added in 2023, also leverages Gemini (formerly Bard) though it’s limited to changing messages to only a few styles or lengths. Other than as a one-off joke, it’s not as helpful as a normal Gemini chat.
How Gemini Nano will change the way you use Google Chrome
Announced at Google I/O, here is what you may expect from Google’s new AI model.
Gemini still isn’t essential, even for messaging
Asking an AI for help isn’t my first instinct
While having Gemini in Google Messages saves you the trouble of having to switch to the dedicated Gemini app or switch to Gemini as your phone’s default assistant, there are limits to texting with an AI as opposed to the more fully-featured chat experience you’ll get in other places. The biggest is that, since Gemini in Google Messages formats answers like texts, some requests will spit out garbled responses. I asked for a chart comparing popular houseplants based on how much light they need, how often they need to be watered, and how big they get and got a result that wasn’t useful at all.
While AI that can generate text and images is fascinating in its way, I can’t say I’ve found it to be particularly useful for messaging folks, either. It’s just not my first instinct to rely on an AI to write a difficult or important message, nor is it the first place I go to research information. If you’ve already worked Gemini into your daily routine, then having Gemini here is likely to be very convenient. Otherwise, I think it’s mostly just there to get more people to try it, in much the same way that puttingMeta AIin Instagram or Messenger is a growth hack for Meta.
Q: Can Gemini in Google Messages interact with other Google apps and services?
Just like Gemini on the web, Gemini in Google Messages is supposed to offer integrations with services like Google Drive, YouTube Music, and Google Flights via something Google calls Extensions. Extensions can be enabled on the web (gemini.google.com) or in the Gemini app on Android. Traditionally you would type @Google Docs or @YouTube Music to enage with an extension, but it currently doesn’t work in chats with Gemini in Google Messages.
Q: Why would I use Gemini in Google Messages rather than the app?
Mostly, so you don’t have to download another app. Treating Gemini as another person you can chat with makes the more awkward parts of interacting with a chatbot more natural, with some compromises. What you get by accessing with a long-press of your Android phone’s side button might be even more convenient, though.
