Google is making big changes to its AI tools. Gemini is getting new features and will soon replace Google Assistant on mobile devices. Let’s look at what’s new with Gemini and what this means for users of Google’s digital helpers.
Upgraded Gemini Features Now Available
Google has rolled out major upgrades to Gemini’s most popular features. The company has improved how Gemini works and made some features free to try for all users.
The 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model has been upgraded with support for file uploads. This model breaks down questions into steps to give better answers. It now works faster and more efficiently. Gemini Advanced users will get access to a 1M token context window with this model, allowing them to work with much more information at once and solve more complex problems.
Deep Research, which was first launched in December, is now powered by the 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model. This makes it even better at all research stages – from planning and searching to thinking, analyzing, and creating reports. The reports are now more detailed and give more insights. As it works, Gemini now shows its thoughts while browsing the web, so you can see how it’s solving your research task.
What’s great is that Deep Research is now available to try for everyone across the globe in more than 45 languages. You can select it from the new prompt bar or model drop-down menu. Regular Gemini users can try Deep Research a few times per month at no cost, while Gemini Advanced users get to use it more often.
Making Gemini More Personal
Gemini is not just an AI helper – it’s your personal AI helper that gets to know you. Google has added a new test feature called “personalization,” which uses the 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model.
With this feature turned on, Gemini connects with your Google apps and services, starting with Search. This lets it give answers that match your needs better. For example, you can ask for restaurant tips, and it will check your recent food searches. Or ask for travel advice, and it will base answers on places you’ve looked up before.
To use this feature, you can select “Personalization (experimental)” from the model drop-down menu. You stay in control of your Search history and can disconnect it from Gemini at any time after turning it on.
More Connected Apps
One of the best things about Gemini is how it works with Google apps you already use. Now, more apps that connect to Gemini are available on the 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model, including Calendar, Notes, Tasks, and Photos.
With this thinking model, Gemini can handle more complex requests, like those involving multiple apps. It breaks the request into steps and checks its progress as it goes. For instance, in a single request, you could ask: “Look up an easy cookie recipe on YouTube, add the items to my shopping list and find me grocery stores that are still open nearby.”
In the coming weeks, Google Photos will join the list of apps that work with Gemini. This means you can ask for help based on your pictures. Gemini can look at photos from your recent trip and create a travel plan based on places you went, or remind you when your driver’s license expires.
Gems Now Free for Everyone
Gems let you create your own personal AI expert on any topic, and they’re now rolling out for everyone at no cost in the Gemini app. You can start with one of Google’s premade Gems or quickly make your own, like a translator, meal planner, or math coach.
To create a Gem, go to the “Gems manager” on desktop, write instructions, give it a name, and then chat with it whenever you want. You can also upload files when making a custom Gem, so it can use even more helpful information.
Goodbye Google Assistant, Hello Gemini
Google has big news about the future of its digital helpers. Over the coming months, Google will upgrade more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini. Later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer work on most mobile devices or be available for new downloads on mobile app stores.
Google will also upgrade tablets, cars, and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini. They’re also creating a new Gemini-powered experience for home devices like speakers, displays, and TVs. Until then, Google Assistant will keep working on these devices.
Why Replace Google Assistant?
When Google Assistant launched in 2016, it used natural language processing and voice recognition to create a more natural way to get help from Google. Now, almost a decade later, we’re seeing another big shift – this time with AI changing how we use technology.
Millions of people have already switched from Google Assistant to Gemini and have told Google how helpful the new AI-powered features are in their daily lives. That’s why Google wants to bring this better experience to as many people as possible.
For those with mobile devices that don’t meet the minimum system needs to run Gemini, Google Assistant will stay the same and will remain available for download on app stores.
Gemini’s Growing Reach
Since its launch last year, the Gemini app is now available in over 40 languages and more than 200 countries. Google is working to improve Gemini’s daily use, especially for those who have come to rely on Google Assistant.
They’ve updated the app to support the most-requested features, such as playing music, setting timers, or taking action from your lock screen.
But Gemini can do much more than Google Assistant ever could. Features like Gemini Live for flowing, multi-mode talks and Deep Research, which turns Gemini into a personal research helper, are only possible with AI – and Google says they’re just getting started.
What Users Think
Tech fans are already sharing their thoughts on Gemini’s latest features. One tech fan on social media said, “Google absolutely cooked with Gemini 2.0 Flash Experimental.” They shared that the new version can instantly edit images, keep characters consistent, and create visual stories from just text.
Gemini 2.0 Flash Experimental is available in Google AI Studio. Users can change their model to Gemini 2.0 Flash Experimental under Preview, upload or create an image, and then give prompts to change their image.
Users have found many ways to use this tool:
- Creating realistic rooms for games using sprite sheets
2. Editing anime easily
3. Making fake evidence for why they’re late to work
4. Arranging furniture and interior designs
5. Changing poses of models for different shots
6. Editing food images
7. Replacing characters in photos
8. Fixing finger issues in images
9. Creating visual stories with consistent characters
10. Using it as a simple photo editing tool
What This Means For You
If you’re a tech professional, developer, business leader, or just someone who uses Google’s tools, these changes will affect how you work and play. Gemini offers more power than Google Assistant ever could, thanks to AI.
For product managers and UX designers, Gemini’s new features could help you create better products with AI features. Marketing pros can use tools like Deep Research to create better content and get insights.
Small business owners and content creators might find Gems very useful for making custom AI helpers that fit their exact needs. And IT pros will need to learn how these new tools work as they replace older systems.
Even if you’re not tech-savvy, these changes will make AI more helpful in your daily life. Gemini can now understand your needs better through personalization, work with more of your apps, and help with complex tasks that would have been impossible before.
The switch from Google Assistant to Gemini shows how fast AI is changing. What seemed cutting-edge in 2016 is now being replaced by tools that can think, reason, and create in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago.
Ready to try these new features? Start with Deep Research or create your own Gem. As AI tools like Gemini get better, they’ll change how we work, learn, and solve problems.
What will you create with Gemini today?
