Google Gemini’s New Windows Desktop App Is Here

Google has released a Windows desktop version of its Gemini AI technology, bringing tools like image generation and AI search into an app that runs on Windows 10 or Windows 11. The company released a similar desktop-native app for Mac back in April and has been adding new features to it, including more voice capabilities and screen awareness. In a blog post about the new app, Google touted its ease of access. Once installed, the Gemini app can be launched by pressing Alt and the spacebar on Windows. The AI models you have access to in the app depend on your paid Google subscription tier. For instance, Gemini Spark, the company’s AI agent software, is only available if you’re 18 or older and have a Gemini AI subscription. What’s available in the app In our testing, using a paid, non-AI Google Workspace account, we had the option to use Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, 3.6 Flash, 3.1 Pro and a toggle for “Extended thinking,” which Google says is for complex problem-solving. For images, the app uses Nano Banana. Video generation is available with a Google AI subscription using Gemini Omni. That also requires you to be 18 or older. If you’ve used Claude or OpenAI’s ChatGPT apps, the design will look very familiar, with a left sidebar for chats and a search bar as the main interface. You can create notebooks for group chats with Gemini Notebook and access documents or media created in the Library section. Google Docs and Gmail can be connected to the app to access documents or emails. Google said in an email to CNET that it will continue to roll out new features for the desktop app over time. Omar Gallaga has covered technology, digital culture and other topics for outlets including CNET, NPR, WIRED, Texas Monthly, MSNBC, Consumer Reports, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic and the Austin American-Statesman, where he was a longtime tech reporter, editor and podcaster. He lives in the Texas Hill Country. See full bio The Latest from Omar What an Ex-Anthropic Researcher’s Warning About Human Extinction Really Means Google Gemini’s New Windows Desktop App Is Here Google Adds Voice Commands to Gmail, Docs and Keep for Some Users