I used Gemini Live instead of the IKEA manual, and it went better than I thought

Gemini Live feels fascinating to use every single time — even after I’ve shown it just about everything around me on so many occasions. It has helped me figure out what unfamiliar things are for and even identify something random I stumbled upon mid-chat. It’s become this handy little bridge between the digital world and my real one. It’s been working so well that I often find excuses to fire up Gemini Live, show it what I’m seeing, and ask questions.

My latest discovery of how useful Gemini Live can be came while assembling IKEA furniture. I could just show it what I was putting together, and it helped me figure out where each piece went, like an expert friend who’s always available for any kind of help.

I’m often reminded of a meme I saw years ago about sending cake ingredients to IKEA’s retiring executives so they could assemble the cake themselves.

That’s IKEA in a nutshell. Impressively packing its largest furniture pieces in the smallest possible boxes, delivering everything dismantled, each part made to fit a single spot — along with a lengthy instruction manual for you to figure it all out.

I’m a bit of a nerd about these things. I usually study the manual thoroughly before assembling anything and then follow the instructions meticulously. I’ve been mostly successful, but I often have niche questions (like which way a drawer rail is supposed to face) that the manual doesn’t answer. And that’s where I need someone to talk to.

I have zero complaints about IKEA’s manuals; they’re as detailed as they can be and give you everything you need. If I wanted to add an AI element, I could feed a digital version of the manual into NotebookLM to get instant answers. But even that would limit the scope to the manual itself, and, more importantly, wouldn’t let AI see what I’m doing, understand exactly how I messed up, or suggest workarounds.

That’s where Gemini Live comes in, and I genuinely feel it’s the perfect assembly partner for IKEA furniture. I don’t need to type out my confusion or mistakes, which are often too human and chaotic to describe — I can just show it what I’m working on.

Assembling IKEA furniture on your own is a back-breaking task. It’s like tackling a thousand-piece Lego set where every step must be followed precisely. One wrongly placed part, and you end up with a tilted wardrobe or realize your mistake only near the end, forcing you to dismantle everything.

When I was setting up a drawer chest, I was initially overwhelmed by the sheer number of pieces. Even before starting, just going through the steps felt exhausting. Then I decided to try it with help from Gemini.

I pointed the camera at the parts scattered on the floor (thankfully, it couldn’t scan my overwhelmed mind) and showed it the first few steps of the manual. It helped me sort the parts into piles first, and then we started building together. This time, with a little less mental chaos and a lot more clarity on the workstation (okay, floor).

The shelf turned out great with Gemini Live’s help. It would’ve otherwise taken much more time, effort, and close study of the manual, something I hopefully won’t need again.

Another time, I was stuck (pun intended) with a wall-mounted bathroom shelf that hung on suction cups that wouldn’t stick. I didn’t know what kind they were, so I showed them to Gemini Live. It identified them instantly and helped me get a better grip on a textured wall from where they kept falling off.

Typing every bit of that problem — and everything I’d already tried — would’ve been a herculean task. I probably would’ve given up and returned the product instead. But with Gemini Live, I could simply talk it through and try different fixes in real time. It felt like a solid exchange with an expert guiding me through the process.

I only wish I had found a better expert.

Gemini isn’t the only one with a conversational mode; ChatGPT has had it for as long as I can remember. The only caveat is that ChatGPT can’t see your surroundings through your phone’s camera like Gemini can. If it could, I’d honestly stop using Gemini Live altogether — ChatGPT is just that much better.

ChatGPT feels more grounded and thoughtful. Its answers tend to be more practical and well-reasoned. In my experience, it understands tone better — even in something as simple as writing emails — whereas Gemini often needs a few follow-ups.

That difference carried over to my DIY experiments, too. When I asked about the suction cups, Gemini gave me a few suggestions, including a few basic ones like “try a different location,” which kind of defeated the purpose and my intention to put the basket in a particular place. I ended up cross-checking workarounds on Reddit that I then told Gemini to help me with.

Even though I had to describe the situation to ChatGPT in far more detail since it couldn’t see it, its advice was much more useful. It suggested using sticky pads to even out the surface for a better grip, something neither I nor Gemini had thought of.

ChatGPT has offered me similarly clever advice on other home projects, too, like using a high, door-sized cavity to mount a big bookshelf, where Gemini was much less insightful.

Gemini Live is nevertheless a handy tool, though it would be in real trouble if its main rival ever got “eyes.” After this experience, I’d still prefer ChatGPT for anything more complex than figuring out which screw goes where — even if that means overexplaining things until it learns to see the world like Gemini Live.