Gemini is already very prevalent in Google Workspace, but the company is making it even more accessible in Google Drive by adding the option to talk to Gemini about images directly in the Drive sidebar. The new feature is already rolling out — I can access it in Drive across multiple accounts already — so most users should be able to take advantage of it now, though rollout is continuing through September 9.
Google says the feature could prove handy for people who need to extract information from images and those who want to generate alternate image text. You can even ask Gemini to write a story about the image, if you’re so inclined. That said, it’s primarily designed to handle scanned documents such as receipts, contracts, and invoices, as well as “text-heavy images.”
Gemini image chats aren’t currently available for users that don’t have a paid Workspace plan like Google One AI Premium or Business Standard, so you need to at least be part of a supported Google Workspace to use the feature.
How to use Gemini to discuss images in Drive
If you’re looking to take advantage of the new feature and have a Gemini plan, the first step is to click on any image that you’ve uploaded to your Google Drive. From there, select the Gemini icon in the top-right corner, which will open the chatbot sidebar, allowing you to interact with the image in different ways.
Another way to access the new feature is to right-click on the image you want to talk to Gemini about, and then click “Summarize this file,” though you won’t be given as many options right off the bat, and you might need to tweak your prompt manually afterward. Still, it’s useful to have a few different ways to interact with Gemini in Google Drive.
Google has been working to make Gemini more of an interconnected part of Drive and other Workspace services for months now. While that connection is handy, it’s also important to ensure that it remains secure. Security experts have already found ways to hack Google Calendar using hidden text in images, and others hacked a smart home using an infected Calendar file. As such, you should always be mindful of the images you add to Drive and feed to Gemini, as unfamiliar images could potentially harbor instructions from bad actors.
