Google Gemini app launched for iPhone to take on AI-powered Siri

Google has widely introduced the Google Gemini app for the iPhone days after a test version was spotted in the Philippines. The new standalone app gives iOS users access to Gemini Live -- Google's conversational artificial intelligence bot that works similarly to ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode. However, more importantly, Gemini Live competes with the redesigned Siri, which uses Apple Intelligence and ChatGPT to answer various questions. The app works independently from the main Google app, much like the Google Assistant app, but requires access to a Google account.

Although it cannot be programmed into the iPhone's Side button, which is mapped to Siri, Gemini Live outdoes Siri through its ability to hold conversations like a human. That means it can take pauses for the user to add more information or change the flow of the conversation, use vocalisations, and even add paralinguistic features to make conversations more natural -- which Siri cannot yet do.

Gemini's new standalone app also eliminates the need to access Google's AI bot through the Google app or the Search widget shortcut. The app, now available in Apple's App Store, features a slew of humanlike voices that can chat with users on any topic in a preferred language. The Google Gemini app uses the same Gemini UI on iOS as its Android counterpart, featuring the spartan home screen that says "Hello" on start. The app also allows users to access the "Chats & Gems" conversation history from the top-left corner. Users can start a conversation through text prompts using a minimalist text field.

The new Google Gemini app supports media uploads, so users can send Gemini an image and ask questions related to it. The app uses Imagen 3 integration to analyse the media and offer answers. With Gemini Extensions, the app can access data from the user's YouTube, Google, Maps, Gmail, and Calendar accounts to provide more accurate and latest information.