I tried the new Gemini app for Mac - and it's better than the website in one big way

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Google has launched a Gemini app for the Mac.
• The app has each the features and skills of the website.
• Plus, the app tin analyse the contented successful immoderate shared window.

I often crook to Google Gemini for AI-powered assistance erstwhile I'm moving astatine my computer. But that means I person to interrupt what I'm doing to occurrence up the Gemini website, and past bounce backmost and distant betwixt the tract and my work. If lone I could entree Gemini without leaving my desktop. Well, present I can, courtesy of a caller app.

Playing catch-up

Google has released its ain dedicated Gemini desktop app for the Mac, arsenic described successful a caller blog post. Easily accessible done an icon oregon a keyboard shortcut, the app brings each the features and skills of the website to your computer. But it goes 1 measurement further. You tin stock immoderate unfastened apps oregon windows connected your Mac with Gemini and inquire it to summarize oregon reply questions astir the content.

Also: I tested ChatGPT Plus vs. Gemini Pro to spot which is amended - and if it's worthy switching

With this caller Mac app, Gemini is besides playing catch-up with ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude AI, and Perplexity, each of which already beryllium arsenic desktop apps. The cardinal quality is that the apps for the different AIs are disposable for some Windows and the Mac. For now, astatine least, the Gemini app is lone recovered connected the Mac.

How to usage Gemini's Mac app

To get started, you'll request a Mac with an Apple spot (M1 oregon higher) and MacOS Sequoia 15 oregon higher. Just caput to the Gemini Mac app page and click the Download button. As the Gemini app opens, you should beryllium prompted to motion successful with your Google account. You tin past usage the app conscionable arsenic you would the Gemini website.

To motorboat the app successful the future, you tin surely entree it from the Applications folder oregon adhd it to the Dock. But wherefore not effort a keyboard shortcut? By default, pressing Option + Shift + Space opens the app successful a afloat window. Pressing conscionable Option + Space launches it successful a mini chat window. You tin alteration some shortcuts done Settings.

In the app, click the sidebar, and you tin commencement a caller chat oregon entree immoderate of your past conversations from the history. Depending connected your Gemini subscription, you're capable to take the mode you privation to usage -- Fast, Thinking, oregon Pro. You tin past benignant oregon talk your request.

By clicking the positive icon astatine the prompt, you tin adhd and analyse a record from your Mac, from Google Drive, oregon a photograph from Google Photos. You tin pat into Google's NotebookLM and Canvas tools. You're besides capable to inquire the AI to make a photo, video, oregon portion of music.

Also: I tried Google's caller desktop app for Windows, and I'll ne'er hunt the aged mode again

But for the icing connected the cake, and the crushed I similar the app implicit the website -- model sharing. Need assistance oregon accusation with an app, a file, a web page, oregon different model unfastened connected your Mac? Just inquire Gemini via the app.

To acceptable this up, click the positive icon and prime Share Windows. The archetypal clip you effort this, you'll person to assistance Gemini the indispensable strategy permissions. After completing that task, click the positive icon again, prime Share Windows, and past take the model you privation to share.

You whitethorn beryllium wary of sharing immoderate benignant of idiosyncratic accusation with Google, and I can't accidental I blasted you. But successful this case, you bash person power implicit which model you share. I'd besides counsel against sharing thing of a delicate oregon confidential nature.

My results truthful far

On my end, I asked Gemini to place a statue of Abraham Lincoln successful a photograph that I shared done the Photos app. The AI correctly identified it arsenic from the Lincoln Memorial successful Washington, DC, and gave maine a spot of past astir it.

Also: How to power from ChatGPT to Gemini - without starting from scratch

I similar the caller Gemini app and volition surely usage it connected my Mac. However, Windows is inactive my main platform. To acquisition akin functionality there, tin usage Google's new Windows app, which besides let's you stock your full desktop oregon a circumstantial model and inquire questions astir the content.