Google Pixel 9 opens Gemini Nano to all Android app devs for experimental use

In a move that’s sure to get Android developers buzzing, Google is throwing open the doors to Gemini Nano on Pixel 9 devices — but with a bit of a catch. According to a report from 9to5Google, all Android app developers can now experiment with Gemini Nano, Google’s on-device AI model, but the access is strictly for development purposes. So, no, you won’t be seeing your favorite third-party app using this model in full production just yet — but we’re getting there.

Up until now, Gemini Nano was a members-only club. Only Google’s first-party apps and a select few partners had access to this new toy. However, the party’s expanding as Google is now letting all Android developers with the AI Edge SDK dive in and play around via the AICore on Pixel 9 devices.

For now, it’s a trial run, with Google labeling it as “experimental access,” so don’t expect any rock-solid implementations yet. Still, developers can have fun experimenting with text-to-text prompts while eagerly awaiting broader device support and future features. This might not sound like a big deal, but for app developers, it’s like getting their hands on the building blocks of next-gen AI-powered apps.

What can developers actually do with Gemini Nano? Well, the model is no slouch. Its 3.25 billion parameters make it almost twice the size of its predecessor, Nano 1, which only had 1.8 billion parameters (think of it as upgrading from a go-kart to a sports car). The result is an AI that performs impressively in both academic benchmarks and real-world applications.

According to 9to5Google, Gemini Nano is pretty versatile, offering rephrasing, smart reply, proofreading, and even summarization functions. Want to change your app’s tone from formal to casual in a snap? Done. Need to correct your users’ spelling mistakes? Gemini Nano has your back. And let’s not forget summarization, where this AI can turn your five-paragraph rants into neat bullet points.

For developers eager to jump in, the process starts by joining the aicore-experimental Google group, which grants access to the Android AICore (Beta) via the Play Store. Google even has a sample app available to help developers get started, so you won’t be flying blind.

While this access is still experimental, the long-term possibilities for app developers are thrilling. For now, we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out, but one sure thing is that AI-powered Android apps are on the horizon, and Gemini Nano is at the heart of it all.