On Wednesday, Google unveiled its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) platform as a standalone application for macOS. This marks the first occasion that the tech giant, headquartered in Mountain View, has launched the chatbot as a native application for desktop use. The Gemini app is accessible to all users, including those utilizing the free tier, provided they are operating on a supported version of the system. This strategic move positions Google’s chatbot to directly compete with other platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity for the Apple user demographic.
Gemini Comes to Mac
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Google CEO Sundar Pichai introduced Gemini for Mac devices. He revealed that the initial release was built using the company’s agentic platform Antigravity, and the prototype was developed within a few days. The chatbot app is available in all supported languages and countries; however, users will need their device to be updated to macOS Sequoia (15.0) or later to access the app.
Gemini’s native desktop experience for macOS also comes with several features. To allow users to open the app on any screen quickly, the AI chatbot will support the “Option + Space” shortcut. In a blog post, the company says the shortcut will eliminate the need to switch windows every time they need the assistance of the AI chatbot.
- Google Chrome’s ‘Skills’ Feature
Window sharing is also available with the Gemini app. Users can share any open window, be it on the browser or any other app, with Google’s chatbot, and it can instantly draw context from the content it sees. The feature also supports local files, so users can ask questions about a work report or a complex document without having to upload the file manually. Apart from this, those with a subscription can also generate Nano Banana Pro images, and videos via Veo 3.1.
The timing of the app release is interesting, as it comes just three months after Apple and Google announced a partnership that will allow the iPhone maker to leverage a custom Gemini model to power the next generation of the Apple Foundation Models (AFM). The model will also power the more capable and personalised version of Siri, which is expected to be released later this year.
