How to Add Extensions to Gemini

While driving home the other day, I decided to call my partner to let them know that I was stuck in traffic, something common on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. My car, which is a 2007 model, doesn’t have any built-in intelligence, so I rely completely on my phone to manage calls and music. Normally, I don’t face any issues, but this time, when I said, “Hey Google, call Jim on his mobile,” my phone responded with a lengthy paragraph stating that Gemini did not have the capability to perform that action.

I had recently installed Google’s new virtual assistant, which involved the automatic deactivation of Google Assistant, the service I typically use. Since Gemini is a new tool still in development, it lacked many important functions such as making calls and sending text messages.

However, there is a way to enhance Gemini’s functions by adding extensions, similar to how they are added in Google Chrome. If I had been able to read the full message on the screen instead of driving, I would have realized that I hadn’t enabled Gemini Apps Activity, a system that records and stores all activities performed with Gemini. Without this activity enabled, the extensions are not available. Therefore, I have two options: allow the tracking of my activity or use a limited version of Gemini.

Activating Gemini Apps Activity is straightforward. In the mobile app, you just need to tap the personal icon in the upper right corner and select Gemini Apps Activity. You can also do it through the website myactivity.google.com/product/gemini. When enabling the option, a lengthy set of instructions is first presented about what data will be stored, for how long, and for what purposes. Once you’ve accepted, you’ll be able to access Gemini’s extensions.

After activating Apps Activity, I decided to check what would happen if I asked Gemini to make a call without manually activating an extension. To my surprise, this time it worked correctly: my phone app opened, displayed the correct contact, and made the call. Afterwards, I explored some of the available extensions by tapping the personal icon in my mobile app and selecting Extensions. I found several options that caught my attention, including:

• Google Workspace, to receive summaries or responses from Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Keep, and Google Tasks.
• Google Messages.
• PhoneUtilities, which allows opening applications, setting timers and alarms, and managing other settings.
• Google Flights for flight information.
• Google Hotels to search for accommodations.
• Google Maps for location-based information.
• YouTube and YouTube Music for finding videos and music options.
• Some non-Google apps like Spotify, WhatsApp, and OpenStax.

In the future, more extensions might be available. If you prefer not to permanently retain your activity in Gemini, you can set the auto-delete option for older data, with ranges of three, 18, or 36 months. Even with Apps Activity enabled, chats are retained for a period of up to 72 hours. In the same settings, it’s possible to manually delete activity logs.

Over time, it is expected that Gemini will integrate all the useful functions of Google Assistant. The effectiveness with which it can perform various artificial intelligence functions and the amount of data used to train that AI are aspects that continue to be developed.