Google now offers a dedicated Gemini AI app on iPhone. First spotted by MacRumors, the free software is available for download in Australia, India, the US, and the UK following a soft launch in the Philippines earlier this week.
Prior to today, iPhone users could access Gemini through the Google app, although there were some notable limitations. For example, the dedicated app includes Google’s Gemini Live feature, which allows users to interact with the AI agent from their iPhone’s dynamic island and lock screen.
As a result, you don’t need to have the app open on your phone’s screen to use Gemini. The software is free to download – although a Gemini Advanced subscription is required to use every available feature. Gemini Advanced is included in Google’s One AI premium plan, which starts at $19 per month.
The app is compatible with iPhones running iOS 16 and above, meaning those with older devices like the iPhone 8 and iPhone X can use the AI agent. I’ll note here that the oldest iPhone running Apple Intelligence is the iPhone 15 Pro. Of course, that’s not exactly a fair comparison; Apple has designed its suite of AI features to rely primarily on on-device processing, and when a query requires more computational horsepower, it goes through the company’s private cloud compute framework.
Either way, Google bringing a dedicated Gemini app to the iPhone isn’t surprising. Prior to WWDC 2024, Apple was reportedly in talks with the company to integrate the AI agent directly into its devices.