Google Quietly Made Gemini Available on Older Android Phones
Google launched the Gemini app on Android back in February, alongside the AI's general rebrand. (Gemini used to be called Bard, if you recall.) With it, you can access Google's AI to do the general chatbot things you expect from a generative AI model, in addition to the option of setting Gemini as your phone's default assistant.
Until now, however, many Android phones have been locked out of the Gemini app, as Google rolled out the experience with a strict OS minimum: Unless your smartphone was running Android 12 or newer, you couldn't use the Gemini app. You could still access Gemini's website, gemini.google.com, but to use any phone-level features (including, of course, replacing Google Assistant with Gemini), you'd need to upgrade your phone. Probably not worth the cost of admission if your current device is working fine.
Good news, though: This is all changing. As reported by Android Authority, Google quietly reduced the Android OS minimum requirements for the Gemini app from Android 12 and higher to Android 10 and higher. AssembleDebug first discovered this change in the latest version of the app uploaded to APKMirror, and highlighted it to Android Authority. But now, the officially Play Store listing for the Gemini app also says it "requires Android 10 and up." To be clear, Google's official support page for the Gemini app still says it requires Android 12 and newer (in addition to 4GB of RAM, no less) but this will likely change as well.
This problem doesn't affect most Pixel devices, since Google supports Android 12 starting with Pixel 3 and newer. However, if you have a Pixel 2, or an older Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus, Nokia, or any other smartphone stuck on Android 10 or Android 11, you can at least give Gemini a shot on your device without feeling left behind.