Skip to main content

Google Gemini is about to get a big upgrade for iPhone users

Person holding a phone with Google Gemini Live being shown.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

Google Gemini, launched earlier this year for Android and iOS devices, has up until now only been available as a standalone app for Android users. In contrast, Apple users have had to access Google Gemini through the Google app. However, this situation is about to change.

As noted by 9to5Mac, at least one Apple user in the Philippines has been able to download the Google Gemini app from the App Store. However, it hasn’t appeared in other App Stores worldwide, including in the U.S.

Recommended Videos

A standalone Google Gemini app will allow Apple users to access Google Live, among other things. With Gemini Live, users can engage in real-time conversations with AI and obtain information hands-free. This tool can also generate creative content such as poems and scripts.

Google Gemini app on iOS.
u/lostshenanigans

First introduced in May at Google I/O 2024, Gemini Live serves as a very intelligent digital best friend. As noted in September, it is ready and able to answer any question, help you with your homework, plan a trip abroad, and much more. In other words, it is designed to do a lot.

Gemini Live was initially locked behind a Gemini Advanced subscription, but it’s now free for all Android users. It isn’t yet known whether it will be free for iPhone users. Apple device owners can currently access the rest of Google Gemini through the Google app and the Gemini website.

Google Gemini is Google’s most advanced AI model to date. It can understand and work with different types of information like text, code, audio, images, and video. This model was developed as a team effort within Google. It runs smoothly on devices ranging from data centers to mobile phones. Gemini allows for more natural and conversational interactions, making it easier for users to engage with it than with previous models.

A standalone Google Gemini app will likely be released in Apple App Stores worldwide in the coming days or by the end of the year at the latest. Until then, stay tuned.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
I tested Google Gemini and Apple Intelligence. Here’s which one you should use
Pixel Studio tools on a Pixel.

This year feels like a turning point for smartphones with all the new AI features being rolled out by Apple, Google, and basically every other tech company. I've been particularly intrigued by Apple Intelligence, which has introduced some promising new AI capabilities that will be rolled out to select devices over the coming months.

Google's Gemini AI system for the Pixel 9 Pro and other Android devices also shows promise and seems slightly further along than Apple's product. Both tools claim to make our lives easier and enhance our interaction with our devices when fully implemented.

Read more
Apple is about to stop selling multiple iPhones in Europe. Here’s why
The iPhone 14 Plus held in a man's hand.

The iPhone SE and iPhone 14 series will no longer be available for purchase in Europe at the end of the year. In an effort to make technology more consumer-friendly, the European Union ruled that any mobile device sold must be able to charge through USB-C, according to iGeneration. While more modern entries in Apple's lineup already meet those guidelines, the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 do not.

These aren't the newest additions to Apple's lineup, but the iPhone SE and the iPhone 14 series are still sold in Europe. These will be pulled from shelves as the deadline approaches. Customers have plenty of options, but this decision will leave the European market without an iPhone SE option until the next model releases in 2025.

Read more
The iOS 18.2 update includes a special feature just for iPhone 16 Pro users
A person holding the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

If you have an iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max, updated to iOS 18.2, and regularly use the Voice Memos app, then your phone just got even better if you're a musician. Originally teased in September’s iPhone 16 event, Layered Recordings is now available in the Voice Memos app with the iOS 18.2 update.

What exactly are Layered Recordings? Basically, you can now add a vocal track layer on top of any existing instrumental recording without the need for headphones. In the iOS 18.2 update, users are now able to play original instrument ideas through the iPhone’s built-in speakers while simultaneously recording vocals with the studio-quality microphone on the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max.

Read more