Google releases new apps for Windows and MacOS

Most people access Google’s search and AI products through a browser, but you’ve got some new options today. Google has been testing a Windows search app for some months, and it’s now officially available. Over on the Apple side of the fence, Google has focused its efforts on designing a native Gemini app. That one is also available widely today with the same features you get in the Gemini web interface. The “Google app for desktop” first arrived on Windows in a beta form last September. It was pretty rough at first, and Google couldn’t even update the app’s early versions, forcing users to uninstall and reinstall new builds. That won’t be a concern with the official release, which brings assorted search capabilities to your Windows PC. There’s currently no Google search app for macOS, but Google has the AI side covered with the new Gemini app. This is the company’s first standalone desktop app for accessing Gemini. Google’s Josh Woodward says Google has been getting requests for a native Mac app, so the company put together a small team to build one. It didn’t even take very long, with less than 100 days to deliver a supposed 100-plus features on Mac. CEO Sundar Pichai says it was built entirely using Google Antigravity. Opening the app is similar to how you access the Windows search app—hit Option + Space at any time to pull up a Gemini prompt bar. You can ask general questions like you would the web version of Gemini, but it can also access your windows for additional context. Again, that’s similar to the Windows app, with a greater focus on AI.