Gemini for Windows is Google's desktop app for PCs running Windows 10 or later. You download it from gemini.google/desktop, sign in with your Google account, and press Alt + Space to bring Gemini up over whatever you're working on. Your chat history and memory sync with Gemini on the web and your phone as long as you use the same account.
Google released the Windows app on 10 September 2026, a few months after the Mac version. It's the quickest way to use Gemini without keeping a browser tab open all day.
Here's how to set it up, what it can do on a PC right now, and which features are still only on the Mac.
What you need
| Requirement | Windows | Mac, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 or later | macOS Sequoia (15.0) or later |
| Processor | x64 and ARM64 | Apple Silicon |
| Shortcut | Alt + Space | Option + Space (mini chat) or Option + Shift + Space (full chat) |
| Where to download | gemini.google/desktop | gemini.google/desktop |
Google says the desktop app works in every language and country where the Gemini app is supported, though individual features vary.
How to install Gemini on Windows
- Go to gemini.google/desktop in your browser.
- Click Download for Windows and run the installer.
- Sign in with the same Google account you use for Gemini on your phone or the web.
- Press Alt + Space to open Gemini from anywhere.
- Change the shortcut in the Gemini app settings if Alt + Space clashes with another tool you use.
You can also launch it from the Windows taskbar or the Gemini icon in your system tray.
What it does on Windows today
- Summon Gemini over your active work for quick answers, drafts and brainstorming
- Connect Google apps like Gmail and Google Drive to summarise documents and find information
- Generate custom images with Nano Banana
- Run in-depth research on any topic
- Use the Customize hub to add skills and connect apps, which Google rolled out to the desktop app on Windows and macOS in October
What's still Mac-only
This is where Windows users feel short-changed for now. Google's own desktop page says more native capabilities will roll out to Windows over time, and lists several that are Mac features today.
| Feature | Mac app | Windows app |
|---|---|---|
| Share your screen context for tailored answers | Yes | Not yet |
| Voice dictation into any window | Yes | Not yet |
| Google Antigravity for coding and prototyping | Yes | Not yet |
| Tasks (the agent formerly called Spark) | Yes | Not listed |
The tasks row is worth flagging. Google's help page lists tasks as available only in the Gemini mobile app, the Mac app and the web app, so if you want Gemini to run multi-step jobs for you on a PC, use gemini.google.com in your browser for now.
Connecting apps and skills through Customize
Since October, the Gemini app has a Customize hub in the left menu, and Google says it's rolling out across web, mobile and the desktop app on both Windows and macOS. It's one place to tailor how Gemini responds, add skills for repetitive jobs like writing in your style or following your formatting rules, and connect apps.
Google says you can connect more than 40 apps or services, with examples like Instacart, OpenTable and Adobe. There's a catch for anyone outside America: most connected apps are available in English in the US, with select apps in other English-speaking regions, Brazil and India. So if an app in a US guide is missing for you, it's probably your region, not your setup.
Some features on the desktop app also need a Google AI subscription, and Google says those selected features are for users aged 18 and over.
Ways to use it in a working day
The shortcut is the whole point. Keep your document, spreadsheet or inbox open, press Alt + Space, ask, and get straight back to work. A few prompts I'd keep handy:
Tidy a paragraph
Rewrite the paragraph I'm about to paste so it's shorter and friendlier, and keep my British spelling.
Find it in Gmail
Find the email from my accountant about this month's figures in Gmail and summarise what she needs from me by Friday.
Work with meWant AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
A quick image
Create a simple square image for a LinkedIn post announcing our new opening hours. Clean, bright, no text.
Gemini app or Gemini in the browser?
If you mostly use Gemini a few times a week, the browser is fine. If you use it daily, the app saves a surprising amount of switching, and because your chat history and memory sync across devices, you can start something on your phone and finish it at your desk. The trade-off on Windows is the missing Mac features, so heavy users of tasks will still end up in the browser.
Switching between a PC and a Mac? I've written up the Mac version in my guide to Gemini for Mac and its shortcuts.
Tools that work with it
On Windows, Gemini connects to Gmail and Google Drive, plus the apps and skills you add through Customize. If you're choosing an AI desktop app for a PC, the ChatGPT desktop app, Microsoft Copilot and the Claude desktop app are the obvious alternatives to compare.
In the car, Gemini works differently, as our guide to Gemini on Android Auto explains.
My take
Gemini for Windows is worth installing if you live in Google Workspace, purely for the shortcut. Just know that Mac users get more today, and that tasks still need the browser. If you're new to it, my Gemini guide covers the basics, and setting up a couple of skills in Gemini makes the desktop app far more useful. If you'd like help choosing and setting up AI tools for your team, that's what I do in my one-to-one AI sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Gemini app for Windows?
Yes. Google released the Gemini app for Windows on 10 September 2026. It runs on Windows 10 or later and you download it from gemini.google/desktop.
What is the Gemini shortcut on Windows?
Press Alt + Space to open Gemini from anywhere on your PC. You can change the shortcut in the Gemini app settings.
Does Gemini for Windows work on ARM laptops?
Yes. Google says the Windows app runs on Windows 10 or later on both x64 and ARM64.
Can I use Gemini tasks in the Windows app?
Google's help page lists tasks only for the Gemini mobile app, the Mac app and the web app, so use gemini.google.com on a PC for now.
Does Gemini on Windows sync with my phone?
Yes. If you're signed in to the same Google account, your chat history and memory sync across desktop, web and mobile.
