Following the announcement at I/O 2024, Gemini in Google Messages has been widely rolling out to stable users over the past few days. It joins recent launches like Gemini 1.5 Pro in Gemini Advanced and the YouTube Music Gemini Extension.
Once available, Gemini will appear as the first contact in the Start chat FAB > New conversation list. After agreeing to some terms, you’re taken to a fairly standard messaging UI. You have emoji and the gallery in the text box, with the ability to upload images for the prompt but not audio memos.
Gemini here can be used to “draft messages, brainstorm ideas, plan events, or simply have a fun conversation.” It has been optimized to deliver more concise responses.
Top comment by Lee Woods
I've had the Gemini in Google Messages for what seems like a free weeks now and I rarely use it because of how Google has chosen to implement it.
I pay the extra 10$ per month for Gemini Advanced but the version of Gemini in Google Messages for not seem to be the Advanced model.
It's also not available on Google Messages on the web so I fallback to just leaving a Chrome tab opened for Gemini Advanced.
Google really needs to make it clear of what version of the model is in Google Messages, make it available through Google Messages on the web and allow users to prompt it while in a conversation.
Otherwise no one will use this and it will be a great feature that they just kill instead of making better, like Allo.
You’re having a direct 1:1 conversation with Gemini, which cannot be pulled into other conversations, like Assistant in Google Allo years ago.
There’s support for Gemini Extensions, like Workspace (@Gmail, etc.), @YouTube, and @GoogleMaps, but the “YouTube Music extension isn’t available in Gemini in Google Messages.”
You can long-press on a response to leave thumbs up/down feedback, with the ability to star and forward also available. Conversations are happening over RCS, which has to be generally enabled, but they are not end-to-end encrypted. Gemini cannot be accessed using messages.google.com/web or the Wear OS app (where the chat won’t even appear).
Gemini in Google Messages is rolling out globally — except to the EEA, UK, Switzerland, or India — with support for English and French in Canada. It has been available to beta users since March.
More on Google Messages:
- Google Messages might get a flat app bar, tweaks contact colors
- Single-line Google Messages text field redesign rolling out
- Google Messages recorder redesign sees wider rollout, Voice Moods are for RCS
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