What is Google Gemini?
Gemini is a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) chatbot developed by Google.
It was launched in February 2024 as an upgraded version of the company’s previous AI model Bard.
Gemini runs on a large language model (LLM) of the same name, which was introduced in December 2023 as a successor to LaMDA.
It is currently available in over 40 languages and more than 200 countries around the world.
At the 2024 Google I/O keynote, the tech giant announced that Gemini would be integrated into several Google products, including Android, Chrome, Photos, and Workspace.
How to use Gemini?
You can access Gemini on your mobile device through the official app, which is available for free on both Android and iOS.
Android users can even set Gemini as their default digital assistant so that it will activate after saying “Hey Google” or by long-pressing the power button.
After setting up the app, you simply type your request in the text box, or tap the microphone icon to use your voice.
For a real-time, back-and-forth conversation, which feels like a regular phone call, try the Live mode.
You can also access Gemini on your computer through the official website.
It is generally recommended to be as specific as possible when talking to an AI language model. The more detail you can provide in your prompt, the better the response will be.
You can also give the chatbot a persona by telling it, for example, to act as a fitness coach or write like a journalist for The Sun. This helps the model tailor the tone and style of its responses to your needs.
If the results are not quite right, there is no need to start over. Just ask Gemini to clarify or revise its response. For example: “Make it sound more professional.”
What can Gemini do?
“I can do lots of things!” the chatbot says when you ask it.
“I’m good at brainstorming ideas, clarifying tricky concepts, and tasks like recapping meetings and helping you research a topic.”
Some specific examples include:
- text generation
- proof-reading
- finding information
- summarising
- help with studying
- language translation
By default, you will be using Gemini 2.5 Flash, which is a lightweight model optimised for speed and efficiency.
For more complex task, you can also switch to Gemini 2.5 Pro by clicking the model dropdown menu in your chat. This will optimise the chatbot for deep reasoning and accuracy.
Can Gemini search on Google in real time?
Gemini’s core function is to synthesise information, which includes accessing and processing real-time web content through Google Search.
This is what makes it different from a static AI language model, which is limited to past information only.
When you ask Gemini a question, the chatbot can analyse whether it needs up-to-date information from the internet, or whether its training data is good enough.
If the model decided that a search is necessary, it automatically performs multiple Google Search queries simultaneously to get the most relevant result for you.
This process allows Gemini to provide answers to questions about current events, recent news and other things that are always changing.
It can also provide citations and links to the original sources if the user wishes to explore the articles in more depth.
Can Gemini generate images?
In October 2024, Google launched its image generation model Imagen 3 as part of the Gemini app.
It is currently available to all users for free with a flexible daily limit based on the system demand and traffic as well as the complexity of given prompts.
Can Gemini summarise YouTube videos?
As a Google product, Gemini can directly access information about YouTube videos.
However, this feature is only available to developers through the Gemini API at the moment.
Is Gemini free to use?
The standard version of Gemini is currently available free of charge for signed-in users, which includes:
- unlimited access to 2.5 Flash: a lightweight model optimised for speed and efficiency
- limited access to 2.5 Pro: a more complex model optimised for deep reasoning and accuracy
- image generation with Imagen 4
- Deep Research: Gemini will put a plan together, confirm it with you, do its research and then organise it into a detailed report.
- Gemini Live: This feature allows you to have a natural real-time conversation with the AI, from brainstorming ideas out loud to rehearsing for important moments.
- Canvas: A new interactive space within the Gemini app where you can bring your ideas to life.
- Gems: Custom, personalised AI assistant that you can create on top of the chatbot. Think of them as expert advisers that specialise in a specific topic.
- NotebookLM: research assistant
Google also offers a one-month free trial for its AI Pro plan, which provides users with some additional features:
- video generation with Veo 3 Fast
- Flow: AI film making tool
- Jules: coding agent for software developers
- access to Gemini directly in Google apps like Gmail, Docs and more
How much does Gemini cost in the UK?
After the first free month, Google AI Pro plan costs £18.99 a month.
For advanced users, there is also Google AI Ultra plan starting at £119.99 a month.
That includes everything above plus access to Gemini 2.5 Deep Think, which is Google’s most advanced reasoning model.
Can I use Gemini instead of Google Assistant?
In March 2025, Google announced that it is upgrading Google Assistant users on mobile to Gemini.
Google Assistant has been the company’s main voice-activated tool across millions of devices since 2016.
It allows you to set a timer, ask about weather, play music, or even control lights across your home after saying the magic phrase “Hey Google”.
But Google promises that Gemini will offer all of the above and much more, using an advanced AI model.
How to activate Gemini?
At the moment, most Android users have the option to easily swap between Google Assistant and Gemini on their phone:
- Open the Google app.
- At the top right, tap your profile picture and go to Settings.
- In the Google Assistant section, tap ‘Digital assistants from Google’.
- Select Gemini.
Similarly, you can change back to Google Assistant at any time. However, this will soon change.
For iPhone users, the process is slightly different:
- Download Google Gemini app from the App Store.
- Open the app and follow the instructions to set Gemini as your default assistant.
Will Google Assistant be replaced by Gemini?
Millions of users have already switched from Google Assistant to Gemini during the soft release, according to Google.
Others still have time to get used to the new AI pal before its predecessor disappears completely.
The company has confirmed that the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on app stores by the end of 2025.
In the next phase, Gemini will also arrive on tablets, cars, headphones and smart watches.
Does Google Home have Gemini?
At the moment, most Google Home devices still run with Google Assistant, but not for long.
On 20 August, Google announced that Gemini is coming to its selection of smart home devices.
Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer at Google Home & Nest, said that Gemini for Home is “an all-new voice assistant for the next generation of help at home”.
Kattukaran continued: “It offers reliable, hands-free help and can manage complex tasks across all of your home devices, assisting every member of your household, as well as visitors and guests.”
You will still say “Hey Google” to get started, but your interactions will feel different:
- Control your home with multiple commands at once or more complex requests: “Dim the lights and set the temp to 20 degrees everywhere except my bedroom.”
- Discover and play media: “I want to listen to the song that won last year’s Eurovision.”
- Manage your cooking by saying “Add the ingredients for authentic Italian lasagna to my shopping list.” or “Set a timer for a soft boiled egg.”
- Plan your everyday life smarter: “Add Notting Hill carnival to my calendar and send an invite to my sister.”
- Activate Gemini Live on you smart speaker by saying: “Hey Google, let’s chat.”
How to enable Gemini on Google Home?
Gemini for Home is currently available only for a limited selection of users during the testing period.
However, Google has confirmed that it will start rolling out its new AI model on smart speakers and displays in October.
The upgraded assistant will eventually replace Google Assistant on these devices, too.
Is Gemini better than ChatGPT?
Gemini and ChatGPT are both AI chatbots running on a LLM, but there are core differences.
Built on the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT), OpenAI’s model started as a text-focused tool, while Gemini was built as natively multimodal from the ground up.
Google believes that this puts it in a stronger position when it comes to images, video, and audio.
In terms of pure text, on the other hand, many internet users agree that ChatGPT provides more complex and better-rounded responses.
It excels in generating creative texts and adapting its tone to the user.
Another important aspect is a context window and memory, giving an AI model the ability to stay coherent and consistent over time.
The latest GPT-4o model has a context window of up to 128,000 tokens for paying users, which is a solid foundation.
However, Gemini supports a massive one-million context window, which makes it more suitable for tasks requiring an extremely long memory.
Finally, while OpenAI is rapidly increasing it offering of plugins for its chatbot, Gemini naturally provides deep integration with Google’s ecosystem, making it a common choice for offices and workspaces.
