Getting Started with Gemini
Google's AI lives inside your browser, your phone, and your workspace. Here's how to set it up before using our Gemini guides.
What you need
- • A Google account (Gemini is free with any Google account, Advanced is $20/month with Google One AI Premium)
- • A browser. That's it.
Open Gemini
Go to gemini.google.com or tap the Gemini app on your phone. If you have a Google account, you're already signed in. That's the entire setup.
Gemini Advanced gives you the strongest models and 1M token context. Worth it if you're processing long documents.
Create a Gem
Gems are Gemini's version of custom assistants. Each Gem has its own instructions and personality. Our guides come with Gem configs you can paste in — so the AI already knows what to do before you say a word.
Click "Gem manager" in the sidebar → "New Gem." Paste the instructions from your guide.
Upload files and images
Gemini can read PDFs, images, spreadsheets, and docs. Drag files into the chat or click the attachment icon. It handles huge files thanks to the large context window.
Gemini Advanced handles up to 1 million tokens — you can upload entire textbooks. Free tier is more limited.
Use Google Workspace integration
Gemini plugs into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Drive. Ask it to search your email, summarize a doc, or analyze a spreadsheet without leaving the Google ecosystem.
Use the @ mention to pull in specific files. "@" then type the file name from your Drive.
Use Extensions
Extensions connect Gemini to Google services like Flights, Hotels, Maps, and YouTube. Enable them in Settings to unlock more capabilities.
Go to Settings → Extensions → toggle on the ones you need. Google Flights and Maps are surprisingly useful.
Save and organize conversations
Conversations save automatically. Pin important ones to find them later. You can also share conversation links with anyone.
Click the pin icon on conversations you'll come back to. Name them something useful.
Ready to go?
Now that Gemini is set up, every product you buy comes with prompts and Gem configs that drop right in. No extra setup.