Google has removed Gemini, its artificial intelligence (AI) model, from the Google app for iPhone and iPad in favor of the standalone Gemini iPhone app.
AndroidCentral reports that the search giant announced the news via an email blast sent on February 18 to Gemini users, saying, “We’re making some changes to create an even better Gemini experience on iOS.” As a result, Google says Gemini is now available as its own app. Gemini, formerly Bard, is Google’s AI chatbot.
The dedicated Gemini app has been available since November 2024, but Gemini support was nonexistent until today. Meanwhile, hitting the Gemini panel in the mainstay Google app displays a message saying, “Gemini has its own app. Download the Gemini app for iPhone.” The panel will be removed in a future update.
Google wants you to switch to the Gemini app
Google says the standalone Gemini app “is now the best place to use Gemini.” It’s available as a free download on all iPhones compatible with iOS 16.0 or later.
Gemini integration in the mainstay Google app has always felt out of place to me, like something that has been bolted on forcefully because it doesn’t belong there. I actually like the Google app and use it regularly to search the web, read the news and more on my iPhone. But I don’t like when companies shove AI features down my throat, so I’m glad that Gemini has been pulled from the Google app.
The standalone Gemini app actually has richer functionality than Gemini in the main Google app ever did. For example, it supports Live, a very cool feature that lets you talk back and forth without typing, with the AI chatbot responding back verbally. Google says Live is perfect for brainstorming ideas, simplifying complex topics and rehearsing for important moments. Gemini Live appears in both the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen, so you can converse with the chatbot while using another app.
The app also supports AI image generation (via Imagen 3), and a recent update brought support for 14 additional languages to Gemini Live, including Chinese, Thai, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Russian. Gemini extensions are supported, too. With extensions, Gemini can access particular apps or services like Maps or YouTube to provide more helpful and personalized responses to your prompts.
View Google Gemini on the App Store
The Gemini app provides paid upgrades for those needing advanced Gemini features. The $20/month Google One AI Premium subscription includes Gemini Advanced, a one million token context window, access to Gemini 1.5 Pro (Google’s next-generation model), priority access to new features, Gemini integration in Gmail, Docs and other Google apps, 2 terabytes of cloud storage and other perks.