I tried Gemini on my Galaxy Watch, and it completely changed how I use my phone

Indian Express

a day ago

A few weeks ago, Google announced that it is rolling out Gemini to WearOS-powered smartwatches from Pixel, Samsung, Oppo and OnePlus. The much-anticipated update brought Gemini to my wrist, which meant I no longer had to pull out my phone from my pocket to use the AI assistant.
I have been playing around with Gemini on my Galaxy Watch 6 Classic for a few days. From simple AI summaries to comparing products online, Google Gemini turned out to be a fun and useful assistant. Here's a look at how the wrist-friendly version of Google's AI assistant became a daily essential for me.
Gemini is already available on devices like smartphones, select headphones and earphones, but using the AI chatbot from my wrist felt more natural since it is just one press away. This meant that I could use Gemini while riding my bike, walking, running, and even in the middle of my lunch, without having to worry about the smartphone getting greasy.
The compact form factor of the smartwatch and voice-enabled AI allows you to use it anytime, even when munching on your favourite snack. Unlike smartphones with their large displays, the smaller screen promises carefree usage, and I found myself using Gemini more than I would on my flip phone.
Powered by the same large language model as the phone and web versions of the AI chatbot, the smartwatch version of Gemini can do a lot of things. Previously, when roaming around the streets of Delhi, I had to stop and use the watch screen to set up navigation or get information about nearby places. But ever since Google brought Gemini to my wrist, I have been able to accomplish these with a single tap on the home button.
If you are someone like me and find it hard to use the small smartwatch screen, Gemini can completely change the way you use your wearable on a daily basis.
Also, I have the LTE version of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, which means I can use Gemini even when I don't have my phone with me. If you happen to own a Wi-Fi-only watch, keep in mind that Gemini will need your smartwatch to be connected to your phone at all times.
The WearOS version of Gemini can do a lot of things that previously required you to either open the app or take out your smartphone.
For example, you can ask Gemini to summarise your emails from Gmail, which is a lifesaver if you are someone who gets a ton of emails every day. What's more impressive is that Gemini can also help you create, edit, and delete Google Keep notes.
Gemini can also remember those tiny details we often miss out. Like, you can tell the AI chatbot to 'Remember that I parked my bike on level 2, pillar number 27' and even get timely reminders by telling it to 'go to the grocery store after work.'
And, yes, you can also ask the AI chatbot to set reminders, alarms, make phone calls, send messages and even start timers. These features are so useful for me that I no longer use my phone to do these basic tasks.
However, the most impressive thing about the WearOS version of Gemini is that it can also do things you would normally use an AI chatbot for. I asked Gemini to compare the OnePlus 13 with the Galaxy S25, and not only did it quickly answer my query, but also let me ask follow-up questions like 'Where can I buy these phones from?'. 'How much do they cost?' and more.
In the last few days, I have noticed that my smartphone usage has drastically reduced, and while much of it can be attributed to my phone's form factor (I use a flip phone), some of it is because I can use Gemini to perform certain actions directly from my wrist.
Without a doubt, the WearOS version of Gemini is impressive, but it does have some limitations. The biggest one for me is that Gemini cannot read out notifications from my phone, nor can it make calls to WhatsApp contacts.
Another area where Gemini falls short of expectations is when I asked to open apps on my smartwatch. Sometimes, it quickly launches the app I asked it to open, but most of the time, it struggles to get the name right and says that I have no such app. While these are snakk annoyances, I hope Google fixes them and improves Gemini's WearOS integration.
Anurag Chawake is a Senior Sub-Editor at indianexpress.com. His fascination with technology and computers goes back to the days of Windows 98. Since then, he has been tinkering with various operating systems, mobile phones, and other things. Anurag usually writes on a wide range of topics including Android, gaming, and PC hardware among other things related to consumer tech. His Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn user name is antechx. ... Read More