Skip to main content

How to use Google’s Gemini AI app on your Android phone or iPhone

How to use Gemini on your Android.based device.
Digital Trends

Google Gemini is a powerful AI assistant that can help you with a variety of tasks, from writing and brainstorming to learning and finding information. It’s designed to be a versatile and helpful tool that can enhance your productivity and creativity.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • An Android or iOS phone

  • The Google Gemini app

If you're interested in using Gemini on your phone, you've come to the right place. We'll show you how to download the necessary apps, how to use its different features, and how you can even make it a Google Assistant replacement.

For mobile users, there’s an official Google Gemini app for both Android and iPhone. Here’s how to use it on both platforms.

How to download the Google Gemini app on Android

To get started, you'll need to first download the Gemini app on your Android device. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Visit the Google Play Store on your phone.

Step 2: Search for the Google Gemini app in the store.

Steps showing how to install the Google Gemini app on an Android phone.
Digital Trends

Step 3: Select the Install button next to the app's name.

Step 4: Just like that, you've downloaded Google Gemini on your phone.

How to download Google Gemini on iPhone

There's no separate Google Gemini app in the App Store. Instead, you'll need to download the Google app.

Step 1: First, go to the App Store on your phone.

Step 2: Search for the Google app, then download it.

Screenshot showing how to download the Google app on iPhone.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

How to use Google Gemini on Android and iOS

With the Gemini or Google app now installed on your device, you can start to experience the tool. To begin using the app, regardless of device, follow these instructions.

Step 1: First, open the Gemini or Google app, depending on your device.

Step 2: Next, follow any Set-up directions you might see on the screen.

Step 3: Start your first Search.

Step 4: As you perform different searches in Gemini, previous requests/questions will appear in the Chats section near the middle of the screen.

To get started, perform these sample searches: "What's the weather going to be like today in Miami," or "Who do the Steelers play this week," or "What's 25 times 15."

How to replace the Google Assistant with Gemini

After installing Gemini, you can have it replace Google Assistant whenever you say "Hey Google" or "OK Google." Here's how to change the setting so that Gemini is what answers you and not Google Assistant.

Please note: You can only replace Google Assistant with Google Gemini on Android-based devices at this time.

Step 1: In the Gemini app on your Android device, select your Profile picture at the top right.

Step 2: Next, select Settings.

Steps to change the digital assistant on your Android device to Gemini, not Google Assistant.
Digital Trends

Step 3: Choose Digital assistants from Google.

Step 4: Select Gemini as your default digital assistant.

Steps to change the digital assistant on your Android device to Gemini, not Google Assistant.
Digital Trends

Step 5: Repeat these steps and choose Google Assistant if you no longer want Gemini to answer to the commands "Hey Google" and "OK Google."

How to change Gemini's voice

You can currently change Gemini's voice, but only on Android devices and only if you have a Google Gemini Advanced subscription. To do so:

Step 1: Open the Google Gemini app on your Android device.

Step 2: At the top, select your Profile picture.

Step 3: Select Settings.

Step 4: Select Gemini's voice. Cycle through the current set of voices and stop on the one you wish to use. This list is growing, and for each voice you can hear a demo.

Screenshot showing how to change Google Gemini's voice on Android.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

How to use Gemini Live

A Google Gemini Advanced subscription unlocks Gemini Live, a new conversational AI feature from Google that allows natural, free-flowing conversations with the Gemini AI assistant using your voice. Here's how to use it.

Step 1: On your Android device, open the Google Gemini app. You can also say Hey Google to get started.

Step 2: At the bottom, select the Live icon and follow the process to initialize the feature. Select OK to accept the terms.

Step 3: Start chatting.

Step 4: Select the Hold button" to hold or *End button to end Google Gemini live.

Screenshot showing the steps to activate and use Google Gemini Live.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

Google Gemini is a work in progress, and the steps to activate the feature and use it are changing on a weekly basis. As changes are made, we will update this post.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
WhatsApp for iPhone may soon let users have multiple accounts on one device
WhatsApp logo on a phone.

If you use the popular messaging app WhatsApp on an iPhone, there may be times when you wish you had the ability to add more than one account. The good news is that a recent update for WhatsApp, released via Apple’s TestFlight beta program, includes the feature, suggesting that it could be rolled out soon for everyone using WhatsApp on an iPhone.

Android users will be scoffing at this news, as the feature has been available for WhatsApp on that platform since 2023. But hey, better late than never.

Read more
Perplexity’s new AI agent can perform multi-step tasks on your Android device
Running Perplexity on OnePlus Pad 2.

Perplexity announced Thursday that it is beginning to roll out an agentic AI for Android devices, called Perplexity Assistant, which will be able to independently take multi-step actions on behalf of its user.

"We are excited to launch the Perplexity Assistant to all Android users," Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas wrote in a post to X on Thursday. "This marks the transition for Perplexity from an answer engine to a natively integrated assistant that can call other apps and perform basic tasks for you."

Read more
The iPhone now has an app to automatically block spam calls
the iphone now has an app to automatically block spam calls truecaller january 2025

Spammers continuously look for ways to invade our smartphones. Luckily, there are tools available to eliminate their success. One of the most popular tools for identifying unknown callers and blocking spam calls and SMS messages, Truecaller, has recently improved its functionality on iPhone.

With the release of iOS 18.2 and newer versions, Truecaller offers real-time caller ID and improved spam blocking on iPhones.

Read more