The AI invades our smartphones with the promise of simplifying daily tasks. Here’s how to start well with Gemini, the new Google assistant widely deployed on Android but which also runs on iPhone.
Artificial intelligences are multiplying at high speed. Not a day goes by without these two small letters IA (or AI in English) arising at the bend of a conversation, an info or an advertisement. A term put in all sauces, often with a purely marketing purpose to join the trend and which mostly hides only a handful of sophisticated algorithms fed by immense amounts of data. However, whatever its true nature, the “general public” AI can be useful on a daily basis. Especially when she takes place in a smartphone, always at hand.
Obviously, the tech giants massively push its adoption. Samsung with its Galaxy Ai present in almost all its devices, has made its main argument to praise the merits of its new range of Premium Galaxy S25 smartphones. Copilot, Microsoft’s AI which relies on Open AI Chatgpt is also largely put forward to motivate the purchase of a new PC. As for Google, it does not remain cross arms either. The American giant also develops its AI at full speed: Gemini. Slowly but surely, this AI is starting to overshadow the Google assistant available on Android mobiles since 2016 and on iPhone since 2017. A function that has been used to challenge by the famous sentence : “Hey Google”.
Gemini crosses a CAP compared to the Google assistant. Easier to use, faster and more versatile than its elder, of which it takes up a number of functions, Gemini is led to replace Google Assistant. So you have to put yourself on the page today to know how to manipulate it and get the most out of it.
Gemini is obviously installed by default on the brand’s pixel smartphones. This is also the case for many mobiles recently released and which highlight artificial intelligence. If it is not present on the device, it is of course possible to download it from the Google Play Store and on theApple App Store. You need a mobile under Android 10 or iOS 16 at least. AI is also accessible through Web service on a computer.
The free version, Gemini Flash 2.0, already opens the door to many possibilities. To do even more, especially to integrate Gemini into Google tools like Gmail, Docs, Sheets, etc. You will have to go to the checkout to subscribe to Google One Ai Premium (21.99 euros/month) in order to access Gemini Advanced, even more efficient.
Once Gemini has been downloaded to a mobile, open the application. On an Android mobile, Gemini connects alone to the default Google account on the mobile. On an iPhone on the other hand, it will be necessary to specify the account to be used.
You must then give a few access to Gemini. According to smartphones, they are not all active by default. Press Your avatar at the top right of the screen then choose Parameters.
On the displayed page, press Activity in Gemini applications. On the web page that appears on the screen, in the section Activity in Gemini applicationschoose Enable Then define how Google must manage the history of your activities (automatic deletion according to a given time) and validate.
Return to Gemini’s settings and press this time on Extensions. If a panel means that Extensions are not available (…)leave the Gemini app and relaunch it.
Back in the extension settings, activate Workspace so that Gemini can interact with your emails in Gmail, your documents in Google Drive, etc. Be careful, this means that Gemini will have access to all your information. In Gmail, if not already done, you must also activate the intelligent workspace features from the parameters of your account from the Gmail app.
Gemini is now ready to operate optimally. You can still choose the voice that will be used to answer you oral. Access the settings again and then choose Gemini’s voice. Choose from the 10 models (male and female) offered.
On recent Android smartphones, Activate Gemini amounts to a long pressure on the switching button. He stings the place of Google Assistant or Bixby on Samsung mobiles. If not your case, just open the app.
Gemini’s interface is quite simple and classic. At the bottom of the screen, just type in the field to enter and write your question. Validate the return button on the virtual keyboard. Gemini will then display the answer in the form of text, image, graphics, etc. Depending on the nature of the question.
You can also, and it is the most practical, ask a question orally. Press The micro icon In the seizure field and state your question. If the sound of the smartphone is activated, Gemini will then respond to you (while displaying a transcription of his answer). AI maintains the context. For example, you can ask ” What time will he do today? “. After the answer, chain with” And tomorrow? “Without needing to re -situate the theme of the request (the weather).
You will have noted that it is necessary to press the micro icon each time you want to speak. However, if it is a question of triggering an action, you will not need to do so. For example, you can say: ” Send a message by Whatsapp to Fabrice who says hello, I hope you are well “. Gemini will make a summary of your request (he will draw in your address book to find the right contact) then ask you if he has to send it and will teach you the microphone. One” Yes “On your part is enough to send the message.
Gemini Live is one of Gemini’s strength and fairly stunning points. AI is able to hold a conversation, almost as if you were chatting with another human being. You can thus ask him a question orally, to speak to him, to contradict him, to thank him, etc. To do this, press the icon to the right of the microphone And state your request. You can speak naturally, as you would with a real person.
You can even flout, have some hesitation, AI accommodates it. Gemini will answer you in a just as natural way by putting intonations, exclamations, advice, opinions, etc. He will also be able to ask you questions to restart the conversation or lead you to other subjects. Fun, sometimes he apologizes and resumes his sentence by changing intonation.
It is possible to tackle all subjects, except politics. Gemini gives as an excuse that his knowledge is not in -depth enough on this theme but it is more likely that he does not want to testify of any influence.
Gemini Live does not impose a time limit on conversation. Nevertheless, keep in mind that at the other end of the connection is a battery of servers consuming a lot of energy just to cut a bib with you. It is therefore better to make a moderate use of it.
When you put an end to the conversation by pressing on The Red Cross At the bottom of the screen, Gemini gives you the entire transcription in writing. Practical if you want to keep a trace of the information it has given you.
Gemini is a multimodal AI. In other words, she knows how to manage text, audio but also images and video. In the gemini entry field, press the button + left. Then choose if you prefer to take a live photo, or recover it from the gallery of your mobile or even from Google Drive.
After an analysis of the cliché, you can ask questions about the latter as asking for what is the subject and bringing other precision. For an object, Gemini can for example tell you what it is and where you provide it for example.
In the same way, you can submit mathematical exercises to him by presenting him an image. High school students and students will enjoy themselves. Remember to check the accuracy of the answer all the same. Gemini is not immune to an error both on mathematics and other subjects as Google stipulates.
Gemini is not content to analyze images. It can also scrutinize a wide variety of documents of documents: PDF, Docx, PDF, TXT, RTF, DOT, DOTX, HWP, HWPX, CSV, TSV, XLS, XLSX as well as those generated from Google Docs or the code C, CPP, Py, Java, PHP, SQL and HTML.
By subjecting him a PDF document or a text for example, he can carry out a translation and simultaneously produce a summary. To achieve this, press the button + to the left of Gemini’s entry field and choose Files. Look for the desired document on your mobile. Gemini will analyze him and you can therefore ask him questions about his content or make a summary. You can also go into conversation mode on this subject. Transcription of your exchanges will then be available in Gemini.
When you watch a video on Youtube and ask yourself questions about its content, Gemini can bring you some tracks. Two methods exist to submit the video to him. If the smartphone bound button is associated with Gemini with long support, just press the latter while playing the video displayed on the screen. Gemini then points his nose and invites you to chat live about this video or simply ask a question. He can also summarize it in the form of a text.
If the mobile switching button does not launch Gemini, you can copy the video link and stick it in the Gemini entry field. We had a few failures with this method. Gemini told us that he could not access it or started talking to us in English to tell us that the operation was impossible. However, with a little perseverance, he wanted to tell us more with a different text from our first test.