As everyone waits for the new Apple Foundation Models trained by Gemini, Google is pushing ahead on bringing a native Gemini app to the Mac. It'll be similar to those offered by Anthropic and OpenAI.
Apple and Google have always been uneasy partners. Google Maps predated Apple Maps on iPhone, and Google is always slow to adopt new Apple APIs in its apps.
Some of that has shifted in Apple's favor since the Gemini partnership was announced. First, a native YouTube app was finally released on Apple Vision Pro, and now Gemini is getting a native app on Mac.
According to a report from Bloomberg, sourced from app researcher M1Astra, Google has begun private testing of the new app. The Gemini app for Mac will function similarly to the ChatGPT and Claude apps as more features are added.
There isn't any timeline on when the app will release, but it appears to be imminent. It isn't reliant on Apple announcing or releasing the new Apple Foundation Models, so it could be released sooner.
This is good news if you're a Gemini user on Mac. The only way to access Gemini, in limited scope, up to this point was via the web.
The Gemini app will enable direct file uploads and it is possible it will gain access to apps on your Mac. For example, Gemini might be able to pull information from Calendar, Reminders, or Photos.
Apple is clearly pushing for better ecosystem participation from Google. While the details of the deal aren't known to the public, the increased synergy between Apple and Google products helps ease the tensions created by Apple's walled garden approach.
