Gemini app on iPhone update adds model picker for 2.0 Flash

Following Android, Google is rolling out an update to the Gemini app on iPhone that lets users select 2.0 Flash Experimental.

After last week’s announcement, the Gemini app now offers a model picker at the top of the screen. Your options are: 

• 1.5 Pro: Tackle complex tasks
• 1.5 Flash: Get everyday help
• 2.0 Flash Experimental: Preview our latest experimental model

Gemini 2.0 Flash Experimental “Might not work as expected,” while file upload is not currently available. This new model “outperforms 1.5 Pro on key benchmarks” at twice the speed. For app users, Google says it will allow for an “even more helpful Gemini assistant.” It’s expected to hit general availability in January, while the agentic Deep Research feature is also expected in early 2025 after debuting on desktop/mobile web.

Besides 2.0 Flash, the changelog for version 1.2024.4970016 of Google Gemini for iPhone makes note of two Extensions:

• Control your smart home with the new Google Home extension
• Access your photos directly from Gemini with the Google Photos extension

You might have to join the Google Home Public Preview program to see the first one, while we’re not seeing the “Google Photos” one yet. You can already upload images you want analyzed.

Google also makes note of “Saved info”  — gemini.google.com/saved-info — in the account menu, while non-Gemini Advanced users will see a row of conversation starters above the text field. 

Finally, there’s expanded language support:

• The app is now available in 11 more languages: Bulgarian, Estonian, Gujarati, Kannada, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Serbian, Slovenian, Swahili, and Urdu

• Gemini Live is available in 21 more languages: Bengali, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Gujarati, Hungarian, Kannada, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian Bokmal, Romanian, Slovenian, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Ukrainian, and Urdu