Google Withdraws Gemini from iOS Main App, Bets on Independent App Strategy

AIbase基地

Published inAI News · 3 min read · Feb 20, 2025

137

Google recently announced a major strategic shift: it will completely remove its AI assistant Gemini from the iOS version of the main Google app and instead promote its standalone application. This decision aims to strengthen its direct competition with rivals like ChatGPT and Claude, but it also faces the risk of losing users.

It is reported that Google has notified users via email, clearly stating that "Gemini is no longer available in the Google app." The company recommends iOS users download the standalone Gemini app from the App Store to continue using the AI assistant services.

Bard, Gemini Pro, Google DeepMind, Artificial Intelligence, AI

The new standalone app offers a comprehensive upgrade in functionality, including Gemini Live voice conversations, deep integration with the Google ecosystem, AI-generated summaries, image creation, and more. Users can interact with Gemini through various means such as text, voice, or camera. Additionally, users can upgrade to the Google One AI Premium plan through in-app purchases to access advanced features of Gemini Advanced.

However, this strategic shift also carries significant risks. As a widely used app by millions of users, the main Google app has a natural user base advantage. Forcing users to download a new app may lead some users to abandon Gemini due to inertia or inconvenience, thereby affecting its market penetration. While the standalone app strategy may help Google roll out new features more quickly, whether it can successfully balance innovation with user retention remains to be seen in the market.

Google Gemini Surpasses 350 Million Monthly Active Users, Still Trails ChatGPT

Recent reports reveal Google's AI chatbot, Gemini, has achieved over 350 million monthly active users globally. This data, disclosed during ongoing antitrust litigation against Google, showcases Gemini's significant user growth over the past year. Notably, Gemini's daily active users have also seen a substantial increase, rising from 9 million in October 2023 to 35 million currently, representing considerable growth. Despite Gemini's rapidly expanding user base,

Google Considered Exclusive Gemini AI Deals with Android Makers

Internal Google documents revealed during a recent antitrust trial show the company considered exclusive deals last year with several Android phone manufacturers, including Samsung. These deals would have covered not only Google's search app but also its newly launched Gemini AI and Chrome browser. This news has drawn significant industry attention, particularly given the current heightened antitrust scrutiny. The documents suggest Google aimed to solidify its product dominance on Android devices through these partnerships.

Google Smart Glasses Debut at TED2025: Gemini AI Powers Future Wearables

In the increasingly competitive landscape of wearable technology, smart glasses are emerging as the next major frontier. Tech giants are racing to develop their own smart glasses products, and Google recently unveiled its latest Android XR smart glasses at TED2025, generating significant buzz. Previous demonstrations of Google's Android XR glasses were brief and limited to specific scenarios, leaving many questioning their true capabilities. However, the TED conference...

Google Gemini Live Feature Now Available to All Android Users

Google recently announced that the Gemini Live feature in its Gemini app is now available for free to all Android users. Initially, this feature was only accessible to Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 users earlier this month through a Gemini Advanced subscription. However, due to positive user feedback, Google decided to expand access and make the feature widely available. The powerful Gemini Live functionality...

Perplexity's Sonar Challenges Google Gemini's Search Dominance

In the latest LM Arena Search Arena evaluation, Perplexity's Sonar-Reasoning-Pro-High model performed exceptionally well, tying with Google's Gem-2.5-Pro-Grounding model for first place and achieving a 53% win rate in head-to-head comparisons. This news has sent shockwaves through the search engine industry, showcasing Perplexity's powerful AI search technology.