How to use Gemini

Gemini is Google's chatbot. On a computer you use it at gemini.google.com. Google's help center says you can brainstorm, get a plain summary of a hard topic, or draft an outline, an email, or a blog post. On this site Gemini is third on Best for Writing: convenient when the draft already lives next to Gmail and Docs, with a flatter voice than Claude for ordinary prose. It is not on the research ranking. Gemini 4 Argon, the frontier model for hard coding and science, is a paid step up, not the free everyday bot.

Sign up, and the free plan

1. On a computer, open gemini.google.com (opens in a new tab). Google lists Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Edge as supported browsers.
2. Type in the box at the bottom and click Submit. To start over, click New chat at the top left. If you do not see it, open the menu first.
3. Some text chat works without signing in, depending on your device and country. Google says signed-out use does not keep history, personalize replies, generate images, use Gems, or upload files. The Android app requires a sign-in.
4. To save chats and use those extra features, sign in with a Google Account. A personal account you manage is the usual path. A work or school account works only if an admin has turned Gemini on, and you must be 18 or over for those accounts. Age rules differ by country. Google's sign-in article says 18 or over in the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK, and 13 or the local age elsewhere, with under-18 use in English only.
5. You must be signed in to pick a model. Google says the app can choose a model for you, or you can open the model name in the box and pick one.

Google's subscriptions page lists a Free plan: everyday help, the Gemini app, access to a Flash-Lite model, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, and Canvas. Gemini 4 Argon appears under Google AI Pro and Ultra on that page, not under Free. This guide does not quote a paid price. Check the subscriptions page.

A first prompt

Say the task, the length, and who will read it. Paste one of these and edit the brackets.

1. Draft a short email to my manager about [topic]. Four sentences, plain language, no bullet points.
2. Summarize this for a friend who was not in the meeting: [paste]. Keep it under 120 words.
3. I am planning [event]. Give me a checklist of what to do this week, in order.
4. Explain [topic] without jargon. Then give me three questions I should ask a person who knows more than I do.

Google's own help page includes sample prompts such as outlining a blog post or drafting a packing list. The four above are everyday versions of that idea. You can ask a follow-up in the same chat. For some replies, signed-in users can click View other drafts. Copy a code block with the Copy control under it.

Better answers, and checking them

Google says Gemini Apps can make mistakes. Double-check the reply. Do not treat it as professional advice. If the answer is about today, or about your own life, verify it somewhere else before you act.

Signed-in free use and signed-out use are different. Image generation is on the Free plan in Google's subscriptions list, and Google's help center says image generation is not available while signed out. If a button is missing, sign in before you assume the feature does not exist.

A new chat matters when the topic changes. The old prompt is still in the thread. Temporary chat, if you see it, is signed-in only, on a personal account, and Google says that chat is gone when you leave it.

When another tool ranks higher

Claude is first on the writing list when the draft has to sound like a person. ChatGPT is the generalist you will edit. Those starts are How to use Claude and How to use ChatGPT. The page that starts from leaving Gemini is Gemini alternatives. For sources you can click, Perplexity is first on Best for Research. NotebookLM, not the Gemini chat box, is the tool that stays inside files you upload. For a considered picture, Midjourney is first on Best for Images. Stay with Gemini when the words already live in Google and convenience matters more than the voice.

Sources

• Use Gemini Apps (opens in a new tab), Gemini Apps Help.
• Sign in to the Gemini web app (opens in a new tab), Gemini Apps Help.
• Google AI plans (opens in a new tab), Google.
• Rankings: Best for Writing, Best for Research.