Besides OpenAI, if there's any company that has been taking the AI wave as seriously, it's Google. Google's Gemini model came out of almost nowhere, and since they unveiled it to the world, they are relentlessly stuffing it into every aspect of their software portfolio.
Google Messages, Gmail, your Android phone itself, and even a standalone app. But speaking of the standalone app, Google is working on putting Gemini into yet another application, which may head-scratchingly make that standalone app redundant. Let's talk about it.
The Google App Is About To Introduce A Toggle To Switch Between Gemini And Search
Google Gemini is Google's AI model, and it does basically what every other AI chatbot on the market does, with the added benefit of being more closely integrated with Google services like Maps, Calendar, Messages, and so on. It's like a version of Google Assistant hopped up on steroids.
However, according to some digging done by AssembleDebug and PiunikaWeb, the Google app is expected to gain a conveniently placed toggle that will make it easy to switch between Google Search and Gemini.
When you open the Google app, right in the center at the top, you'll see a toggle that lets you quickly switch between the regular Google app interface and Gemini, which resembles the standalone app. This basically gives you a way to have the best of both worlds, right in an app you already have installed.
Doesn't That Make The Standalone Gemini App Pointless?
With this upcoming change, you'll be able to get what seems to be like the full Gemini experience straight from the Google app which comes on virtually every Android phone. But this makes me wonder, what was the point of releasing a standalone Gemini app?
It could be that the version of Gemini in the Google app is stripped down in some ways or doesn't run as smoothly. Or, it could simply be that Google has rethought its strategy, which wouldn't be surprising considering the company has a track record of shutting things down.
Switching To Gemini In The Google App Will Usurp Google Assistant
It's pretty easy to make that comparison between Assistant and Gemini, which many people did when Gemini launched, but Google claimed there were no plans to have it replace the trusty and time-tested Google Assistant. It doesn't seem like that seems to be the case anymore.
Thanks to the original tipster, it's been clarified that when you use the toggle in the Google app to switch to Gemini, you'll be greeted with a prompt that asks you whether you want to switch from Assistant to Gemini. Once you opt-in and give it permission, anytime you choose to activate Assistant how you normally would, you'll be greeted with Google Gemini instead.
This isn't very surprising to me, because as much as I love Assistant, it really only seemed like a natural evolution for something like Gemini to come and take over from it. However, this toggle isn't even active yet, so Google Assistant should still have a lot more time left in the sun.
