Gemini AI is heading to older Android phones, and could get a new 'conversation' mode

A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store

Gemini is available for Android phones (Image credit: Shutterstock/Tada Images)

Up until now, you've needed a phone running Android 12 or later to make use of the Google Gemini AI app for Android, but that has now changed – while a new 'conversation mode' for the chatbot has also leaked.

As per Android Authority, some digging by well-known tipster @AssembleDebug revealed that Android 10 was the new minimum requirement for Gemini, and the Play Store listing now also reflects the support for more devices.

Android 10 and Android 12 launched in 2019 and 2021 respectively, so a substantial number of older phones should now be Gemini-compatible. The app can replace Google Assistant on handsets, if requested, though it doesn't yet support all of the same features.

According to the official Gemini support page, you also need 4GB of RAM in your phone to run the AI chatbot properly. That page still mentions compatibility with Android 12 and higher, though we're assuming it'll be updated soon. For now, you can only get at Gemini on an iPhone by going through the Google app for iOS.

A little more conversation

Gemini assistant to get a new 'Conversation' mode on Android📝 Read - https://t.co/aIPx8sAuTcThere is definitely some uncertainty about this feature about how it will exactly work 🥲#Google #Android pic.twitter.com/GWbmwVZfqfApril 24, 2024

Yet another new find from @AssembleDebug (who we're assuming never sleeps) and PiunikaWeb points to something called 'conversation mode' in Gemini for Android. The code for it is disabled right now, but could be enabled in the near future.

As it doesn't work yet, it's difficult to say for sure what it could be. It might match the 'continued conversation' feature in Google Assistant, where you can keep chatting without having to manually trigger the Assistant's listening mode each time.

Alternatively, it could be something to do with live translation, a feature that's already appeared in several AI-powered apps from Google and others. Time will tell, if indeed this is something Google keeps developing and sets live.

The next date of note for Google and Gemini AI news is May 14, when Google I/O 2024 gets underway. Google is expected to tell us a lot more about its AI efforts then, and there should also be updates on Android 15 and the Google Pixel 8a.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.