Google is making another play to get iPhone users to turn to its AI instead of ChatGPT for their assistant needs. The latest update for the Google Gemini app on iPhone brings six new lock screen widgets and direct access through the Control Center.
These new widgets are a welcome addition to the app, as they’ll make it much easier to launch right into the useful features that Gemini offers on the iPhone. Of course, it’s still a far cry from the Gemini Live video and screen-sharing features that Google showcased at MWC and is expected to bring to Android devices this month.
Still, being able to use Gemini directly from the lock screen will be extremely handy if you use Gemini as your primary AI assistant on your iPhone.
The six new widgets Gemini is adding to the iOS lock screen include:
- Type prompt
- Talk Live
- Open mic
- Use camera
- Share image
- Share file
Each of these functions allow you to interact with Google’s AI in various ways. Type prompt will let you type questions without having to launch the app, while Talk Live lets you talk directly to Gemini while it responds aloud. Open mic will let you set reminders and create calendar events, among other things.
Hitting the Use camera lock screen widget on your iPhone will take a photo of what is directly in front of you and ask Gemini about it, while Share image and Share file let you share images and files to gather new information, inspiration, create art, or just start a chat with Gemini.
Considering Google has been slow to launch Gemini features on iPhone—even taking a while to give iPhone owners their own Gemini app—the launch of these lock screen widgets is a welcome addition to the growing arsenal of AI features available to iPhone users. It’s also one of the few places where Gemini has a leg up on ChatGPT, as OpenAI’s iPhone app currently only offers two widget options for the iPhone lock screen.
