A similar switch already exists in the Google app for iOS
Abstract
- The Google app for Android gets a new switch to switch between Search and Gemini AI.
- However, the switch was spotted in an undeveloped version of Google’s app, so it could be weeks or months before it hits the masses.
- This switch already exists in the Google iOS app, so its inclusion in the Android version is long overdue.
Google’s efforts with the generative AI chatbot Gemini are well documented. The service is already integrated into multiple Google services, including Workspace products. Meanwhile, the Google app on iOS recently added a handy little switch to toggle between standard search and Gemini. Strangely, this switch does not exist in the Google app on Android. But that could soon change, according to evidence spotted in an undeveloped version of the app.
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A well-known source of app leaks, AssembleDebug, found a new toggle in the Google Android app as part of a report in collaboration with PiunikaWeb. While the specific version of Google’s app that enables this new switch has not been determined, the corresponding screenshots and videos indicate that it will work similarly to its iOS counterpart. Google has included some neat animations when switching between Search and Gemini, which is a nice touch.
Updated shortcuts/buttons are also on the way
A short video detailing the new switch also shows updated shortcuts/buttons for Gallery, translate, Homeworkand sing (in the picture above). These buttons were first spotted last month, although some users on newer beta versions of Google’s app are already seeing them. As for the switch mentioned above, PiunikaWeb predicts that it could take weeks or months for Google’s Android app to appear, although beta users of Google’s app should eventually find it (I wasn’t so lucky).
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While the Google app on Android may not have a handy switch to switch between Search and Gemini, users have other ways to access the chatbot, such as the standalone app. In contrast, iPhone users can only use Gemini through the Google app for now. Nonetheless, this switch is a welcome addition to Android’s Google app, as it finally allows users to easily switch between the standard search option featuring the Discover feed and the full AI chatbot experience thanks to Gemini.