Key Aspects to Know About Google's New Gemini Mobile App, Workarounds for Missing Features

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Helpful Features in the Gemini Mobile App
• Downsides of Replacing Google Assistant with Gemini
• Comparing Gemini to ChatGPT and Areas for Improvement
• Conclusion

Introduction to Gemini Mobile App Including Core SEO Keywords

Google's new Gemini mobile app aims to provide users with an advanced conversational AI assistant. Since its initial limited release, users have been testing its capabilities and limitations as a potential replacement for Google Assistant.

Gemini is still actively being developed, with frequent updates and geographic expansion. Key improvements so far include enabling voice command auto-submission and replacing certain Google Assistant functions.

Overview of Gemini's Capabilities and Experience

In its current state, Gemini offers helpful features like generating images and creative writing, summarizing documents, fact checking, sharing public links, and exporting to Google Docs. The mobile experience feels fully-featured, with thoughtful nuances vs just a web shortcut. Many actions like image generation and travel planning work well.

Availability and Updates

Initially Gemini was only available in limited countries, but rolled out widely including the US on Feb 13, 2023. Updates are frequent - checking for updates daily is advised. Recent updates enabled automatic voice command submission without a manual prompt, addressing a major early frustration. Google confirmed more Assistant feature parity is coming.

Helpful Features in the Gemini Mobile App

Gemini's most useful capabilities on mobile include voice commands, image generation, summarizing documents, exporting, and sharing troubleshooting links.

Voice commands now auto-submit after the prompt ends, like Google Assistant. Images can be created from text prompts and editing options provided. Documents on Google Drive can be summarized or analyzed.

Voice Commands and Prompt Auto-Submission

Voice commands now automatically submit for processing after detecting the end of the spoken prompt. This matches Google Assistant behavior and removed an early annoyance. Auto-submission makes the mobile experience much more natural without needing to manually submit each time.

Image Generation and Creative Writing

Gemini includes DALL-E integration for AI image generation based on text prompts. The images are impressively accurate to the prompts provided. For creative writing, Gemini can generate original text given a topic, theme, or other guidance.

Summarizing Documents from Google Drive

Uploading documents to Google Drive allows Gemini to digest the contents. It can then summarize, translate, or reshape the information into other formats on request. This provides easy access to key insights from longer documents without needing to read cover-to-cover.

Fact Checking and Sourcing

Gemini will highlight facts in green if properly sourced, or yellow if confirmation is still needed. Direct links to source references are provided. This helps validate accuracy and provide paths for additional research when needed.

Exporting to Google Docs

Dialogue with Gemini can be exported into a shareable Google Doc for reference and collaboration. The format stays intact. This creates an editable log of interactions that can be refined further.

Sharing Public Links for Troubleshooting

When prompts fail unexpectedly, a shareable public link can be created to the dialogue. Other users can inspect the exact prompt and result, enable crowdsourced troubleshooting.

Downsides of Replacing Google Assistant with Gemini

While promising, Gemini still has significant functional gaps compared to Google Assistant today. Key capabilities like calendar and reminders are missing.

In some cases Google Assistant remains partially active, creating a disjointed experience. Manual toggling between the two may be needed.

Missing Key Google Assistant Functions

Gemini cannot currently access calendar, reminders, routines, media controls, or translation features. This limits viability as a full replacement. Critical daily utilities like these need to be added for smoother end-to-end functionality.

Google Assistant Still Active in Some Areas

Even with Gemini as the selected assistant, Google Assistant remains present in certain surfaces like the lock screen, Gboard typing, and Android Auto. This fragments the experience across two disparate systems. Tighter integration is needed.

Comparing Gemini to ChatGPT and Areas for Improvement

Benchmarking Gemini against ChatGPT reveals advantages and disadvantages in areas like speed, responsiveness, and limitations.

While promising, refusals, repetitions, and filters show Gemini's language model still requires training.

Repeating Prompts and Misinterpretations

Gemini sometimes fails to understand prompts, requiring repetition or rephrasing. The meaning can be misinterpreted. In contrast, ChatGPT appears more resilient to variance in phrasing and semantics.

Speed and Engagement

ChatGPT delivers responses noticeably faster in most cases. Visual cues like typing animations also increase perceived engagement. Gemini's slightly slower pacing and lack of visual feedback feels less dynamic and responsive.

Limitations and Ethics Filters

Gemini refuses certain prompts based on Google's AI guidelines and ethics. ChatGPT aims for harmless deflection instead. Finding the right balance between safety and usefulness remains an ongoing challenge.

Conclusion on Gemini's Promise and Current Gaps

In summary, Gemini shows promise as a next-generation conversational AI assistant with helpful capabilities via the Google knowledge graph.

However, key functionality gaps compared to Google Assistant still exist today, limiting its viability as a full replacement in daily use cases.

FAQ

Q: What is Google's new Gemini app?
A: Gemini is Google's new conversational AI assistant mobile app that allows for more advanced and in-depth interactions compared to Google Assistant.

Q: What devices and regions is Gemini available in?
A: At launch, Gemini was only available in limited regions but seems to be rolling out more widely starting 2/13/2023 in Latin America, Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada with Europe pending.

Q: Can Gemini replace Google Assistant completely?
A: Not yet - Gemini still lacks some key Google Assistant functions like calendar, reminders, routines. Google Assistant remains active in certain areas when using Gemini.

Q: What are some helpful features in Gemini mobile app?
A: Auto voice command submission, image generation, summarizing Google Drive docs, exporting to Google Docs, public link sharing for troubleshooting.

Q: How does Gemini compare to ChatGPT?
A: Gemini has more limitations and filters compared to ChatGPT. However, Gemini provides real-time internet sourced answers versus ChatGPT's set knowledge.

Q: What are some problems with Gemini mobile app?
A: Repeated prompts needed, slower performance than Google Assistant, lacks offline support, and has strict filters.

Q: Will Gemini replace Google Assistant in the future?
A: It has potential, but currently lacks key functionality. Over time, Gemini will likely improve and take over more Google Assistant capabilities.

Q: What features should Gemini add?
A: Offline support, faster performance, calendar and reminders, fewer repeat prompts needed, vibration feedback, media controls.

Q: When will Gemini release in my country?
A: Rollout is ongoing - check the Google Play Store frequently for Gemini updates and monitor Android news sites for availability announcements.

Q: How to use Gemini to summarize Google Drive PDFs?
A: Upload PDF to Google Drive, then ask Gemini to 'summarize the [file name] PDF from my Drive'.