Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google just launched a standalone iPad app for Gemini that brings a full-screen experience.
- There was a Google Gemini app for iOS that launched in November 2024, but it was only designed for the iPhone and launched in letterboxed mode on iPad.
- The Gemini iPad app has the same UI as the Gemini app on Android tablets and on the web.
It feels like Google’s Gemini is putting in a lot of work these days, and it’s not just on Android or the web either. Google launched a standalone Gemini app on iOS last November, which was recently updated to include lock screen widgets for iPhone users. Now, Google has given iPad users another nice surprise.
Google has updated the Gemini iOS app to include an optimized, full-screen iPad version. Previously, the Gemini app could technically work on an iPad, but since it was designed for the iPhone, it would appear in letterboxed mode with blank spaces around it. It also used the smaller iPhone keyboard, leading to a subpar experience.
The updated Gemini iOS app (version 1.2025.1770102) now makes use of the iPad’s full screen, so it spans the entire width of the display in both portrait and landscape orientation. If you’ve used Gemini on an Android tablet or on the web, it’s basically the same interface.
When using the Gemini iPad app, you get a minimalist home view. Thanks to more screen space, reading your chats is nicer since it’s less cramped. And since it’s now a native iPad app, you can use Gemini in Split View multitasking for maximum efficiency and productivity.
While native iPad support is the biggest addition to this update, there are some smaller changes, too, including some UI improvements and bug fixes. Google gave iOS users the capability to add Gemini to the home screen as a widget, similar to the Android version, for extra convenience. Gemini can also now connect to your Google Photos library.
Moreover, Google is expanding its Gemini Audio Overviews to over 45 languages after originally making its debut in English in March. Audio Overviews is a Gemini tool that can generate an audio podcast with virtual hosts discussing documents and files that you upload, as well as Deep Research reports.
