[flagged]
The Gemini app is now on Mac
71–80 of 108 posts
Re: The Gemini app is now on Mac
#72It seems that I cannot paste screenshots into the Mac app, whereas this does work in Gemini running in the browser (Chrome).
Re: The Gemini app is now on Mac
#73Re: The Gemini app is now on Mac
#74[flagged]
It's about app-ifying the desktop. Instead of opening a browser, then remembering that you have a bookmark and clicking it or googling the site you are looking for, the idea is to have a step less and just click something on your desktop or taskbar (like on a mobile device)
Re: The Gemini app is now on Mac
#75[flagged]
Please don't post snarky dismissals like this on HN. The guidelines make it clear we're trying for something better here. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
Understood.
1. Can we agree that this kind of corporate tradition does in fact exist at Google?
2. Can we agree that Google has a history of treating projects this way?
Re: The Gemini app is now on Mac
#76[flagged]
As long as installing web apps to desktop with real app UX sucks horribly, we will remain needing this.
Re: The Gemini app is now on Mac
#77Seems like the most basic thing ever. Can’t even use the new Gemma on device model… no model selection besides fast/normal/thinking. Also requires Google login
Of course it requires a Google login. It’s an app for a Google service. That service is about Gemini, their strongest consumer model. Gemma is not much more than a tech demo.
Re: The Gemini app is now on Mac
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
Out of curiosity, why not just try it with one of the many local managers like LM Studio or Ollama or oMLX, etc? The Gemini app is kind of terrible (apart from the models) but Gemma 4 runs great locally already.
I run lmstudio now and it’s more like a “chat” bot. Where as Gemini app is more like an agent.
I’ve been missing agentic capabilities from almost all local LLM apps. It’s like they’re all stuck in 2023.
That’s why I started using OpenCode for this. It works pretty well, the web UI comes pretty close to a general chat app. You can use folders to organize your sessions like projects (which annoyingly Gemini still doesn’t have) with files and extra instructions.
It’s pretty powerful.
Re: The Gemini app is now on Mac
#79I've had the gemini web app in a safari embedded browser tab for 6+months its worked great as a local app. (M1 Pro base spec)
I set Super + C set to open it.
First impressions of the native app: I think I will save RAM and it will be faster - Cool. Download, install, sign in - Easy. Change the keyboard shortcuts - Simple. cmd + N to open a new chat - better than cmd + shift + O in the web app.
Back to work, a few moments pass.
super + C - ... wait ... there is a noticable delay in opening the app?
Maybe try the new mini chat? - Same delay 800+ms?
Thats annoying, every other app on my mac switches instantly?
Why is this slow? The delay long enough that you break my flow and make me think spending the RAM is worth it for the old web version? Whats the point of native if its slow?
Second grip - the text layout is too wide to read comfortably. At least give me the option to put it in a more narrow layout. I use every app full screen so reading text across the full width of my screen is pretty awkward.
Anyway I'll give it a go and see if it grows on me but right now the web app feels more polished and responsive so I will likely switch back.
Edit: typos
Re: The Gemini app is now on Mac
#80[flagged]
It's about app-ifying the desktop. Instead of opening a browser, then remembering that you have a bookmark and clicking it or googling the site you are looking for, the idea is to have a step less and just click something on your desktop or taskbar (like on a mobile device)
And to circumvent browser plugins.