Google just gave every Windows 10 and 11 PC a Gemini key — I tried it, and it’s the easiest way to use its AI yet | Tech Radar
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Google just gave every Windows 10 and 11 PC a Gemini key — I tried it, and it’s the easiest way to use its AI yet
I tried Google’s new Gemini keyboard shortcut, and it changed how I use its AI
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Google’s new Gemini app brings its AI assistant directly to Windows 10 and 11
Pressing [Alt] + [Space] summons Gemini without interrupting your current workflow
It’s remarkably convenient, although there's still room for improvement
You can say goodbye to opening a browser every time you want to use Gemini on your PC. Google has just released a Windows version of its Gemini app, and it’s by far the easiest and quickest way to get Google’s AI to answer your questions on Windows.
Gemini has had a mac OS app for a while now, and now it has finally been joined by a dedicated Windows version, complete with its own keyboard shortcut. You can summon it from anywhere, no matter what you’re doing on your PC, by pressing [Alt] + [Space].
But here’s the thing: [Alt] + [Space] is already a little crowded on Windows. It traditionally opens the active window’s system menu, and is also the default shortcut for Microsoft’s Power Toys Run utility, a quick launcher for Windows power users that provides instant access to applications, files, calculator functions and system commands.
Google's new Windows Gemini app. (Image credit: Google / Microsoft)
On my PC, installing the Gemini app caused it to take over the [Alt] + [Space] keyboard shortcut, so it now launches Gemini instead. I’ve been using the new app for a few hours, and the shortcut is a great way to access Gemini almost instantly. It saves me from messing around with browser tabs and breaking my workflow. I love it.
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The app does everything the web version does, so you can create custom images with Nano Banana and even make high-quality videos with Gemini Omni from inside it.
However, I’m not a fan of the way the app permanently displays your location at the bottom of the left-hand sidebar. This creates a significant privacy risk, especially if you’re using it at home. I don’t want my home address accidentally ending up in screenshots I take of my desktop, for example.
There’s no obvious way to remove your location either. All you can do is close the sidebar if you don’t want it displayed, and that’s not a great user experience.
The second thing I didn’t like was the lack of a Gemini Live experience in the app, like the one available in the mobile version on both i OS and Android. Live is Gemini’s voice mode, allowing you to talk to it much as you would a person. It can also look through your phone’s camera at the world around you, letting you ask questions about what it sees.
I can imagine that a Gemini Live experience capable of “seeing” what’s on your PC desktop and answering questions about it would be very helpful, but it looks like we’ll have to wait for that. For now you’re limited to taking screenshots, then uploading them to Gemini via the app and asking questions about what’s on them.
Google says more native desktop capabilities will roll out over time. For now, it’s the convenience of combining the Windows app with its keyboard shortcut that wins the day. I hope Google addresses my complaints in a future version, but they’re not enough to stop me choosing the app as my go-to Gemini experience instead of the web version.
If you want to try it, the Gemini app is available globally for Windows 10 and 11 users. You can download it today.
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Graham is the Senior Editor for AI at Tech Radar. With over 25 years of experience in both online and print journalism, Graham has worked for various market-leading tech brands including Computeractive, PC Pro, i More, Mac Format, Mac|Life, Maximum PC, and more. He specializes in reporting on everything to do with AI and has appeared on BBC TV shows like BBC One Breakfast and on Radio 4 commenting on the latest trends in tech. Graham has an honors degree in Computer Science and spends his spare time podcasting and blogging.
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