Two missing features ruin it

Google had a chance to do the weirdest thing with its Gemini app on Mac, but it dropped the ball so hard it broke the floor.

I’ve been waiting – no, longing for – a proper Gemini app to arrive on Mac. When Google revealed the Google app for Windows it introduced me to the idea of ​​its massive potential on the desktop. The Windows version is deeply integrated into the OS and can display local files and apps – basically the Mac’s Spotlight but for Windows. However, the new Gemini app for Mac only serves as a surface-level AI assistant, while leaving plenty of possibilities for others to exploit.

The existence of a Gemini app for desktop is in itself a step in the right direction, as Gemini lags far behind ChatGPT in general user acceptance. A native app on Mac eliminates the extra step of first accessing the browser and then opening Gemini’s website before you can start making inquiries. The Mac has a convenient Option + Space shortcut – just a little more stretchy than the Spotlight shortcut, and a little Gemini bar wrapped in a Liquid Glass design pops up. Accessing Gemini on Apple devices has never been easier.

Being a Google product, the Gemini app has new Personal Intelligence features, direct integration for Google Photos, Drive, and NotebookLM. This direct access is important because otherwise you would have to fall back to the old browser method to share the file, defeating the very purpose of the app. Not just drives, you can also attach local files to Gemini so that they can process your queries and answer based on them. And if necessary, you can share any open window with the app to give you a live view of what you’re seeing. Gemini’s Mac app isn’t agentic yet, but having a second set of (AI) eyes is often helpful.

But what matters more is what the Gemini app can do for you in that context. In addition to text results, the new Gemini app integrates with Nano Banana and VO to instantly generate images, videos, and even music.

It’s a well-rounded desktop AI app that integrates fully with ChatGPT – and if you’re in the Google ecosystem you can make the switch today. But there’s still something off to me compared to its indirect Windows counterpart.

Google had a gold mine on its hands with the Option + Space shortcut. Mac users are already accustomed to using the Command + Space shortcut to access Spotlight. And my wish was for Google to replace Spotlight with Gemini, as apps like Alfred already let you do. What Google added to Windows was a replication of Spotlight, which included Google features like Lens and AI mode.

This raised my expectations for the Gemini app on Mac. I wanted a Spotlight (and even Siri) replacement based around Gemini, making it the hub for finding everything from local files to currency conversions on my Mac. This broader approach would have also worked with Gemini’s current option + space shortcuts, but Google decided to settle for much less.

The first thing I noticed was that Gemini’s compact bar doesn’t answer your query inline, unlike Spotlight, which nailed it. This was disappointing to me, as Google is trying to mimic Spotlight’s interface without its most important feature. And this is true even for basic questions like doing quick multiplication – so right off the bat, it can’t replace Spotlight.

Secondly, the Gemini app is also missing its most important feature: Gemini Live. When you install the app, it automatically adds a Gemini icon to the menu bar. When you click the button, it opens the same small text bar that keyboard shortcuts open. This is again a missed opportunity. Instead the button can turn on Gemini Live, giving me the chance to talk to it in real time while we both collaborate on what we’re seeing on the screen.

That – this would have been an appropriate use of Gemini’s capability, but what we got was a very simple chatbot.

Apart from this glaring omission, the Gemini app also leaves out a few features. For example, Gemini’s recent Notebook feature, which organizes your chats into folders like ChatGPT, is currently missing from the app. Secondly, the app doesn’t support multiple Google accounts yet, so you’re stuck with a single account to access your chats, even if you use separate accounts for personal and work.

It’s a good first step that Google has taken by bringing the Gemini app to desktop, giving people another reason to move away from ChatGPIT and be more productive with a native app. However, it is exactly that – a good first step rather than a benchmark for others. I can’t replace Spotlight with Gemini’s Mac app even if I wanted to, and that’s its biggest weakness at the moment.

But I don’t mind waiting a little longer to see if it ever gets there.