Gemini App Adds Scheduled Actions for iOS and Android

Google’s Gemini app for iOS and Android now features a new artificial intelligence (AI) capability. With the help of a feature called Scheduled Actions, users will be able to instruct the chatbot to carry out a specific task at a specified time or date, and it will comply. Additionally, it can be used to create recurring actions, such as receiving a news feed each morning. Only paid Google Workspace accounts and Gemini subscribers currently have access to this functionality.

With a new feature dubbed Scheduled Actions, Google is extending Gemini’s functionality by enabling users to program AI-powered actions to run at predetermined times or intervals. The update, which is being made available to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers and a restricted group of Workspace customers, attempts to make Gemini more proactive in managing routine tasks and requests. The feature will currently only be accessible to users who have paid for it. The future availability of access for free-tier users is uncertain. 

The internet giant described the new function in a blog post. It is currently being rolled out internationally to the Gemini app for iOS and Android. At the moment, the feature is only available to users who currently have an active Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscription (or an existing Gemini Advanced subscription). Additionally, it is being made available to both company and individual paying Google Workspace accounts.

Google’s blog claims that users may utilize Scheduled Actions to ask Gemini to carry out one-time or repeating tasks, such as receiving a daily email summary, blog post ideas every Monday, or even morning clothing recommendations based on the weather. Gemini will handle the rest; users only need to specify the task and the desired completion time.

Gemini can be directly assigned Scheduled Actions by typing a prompt. During a chat, users only need to indicate the time and date. To create a recurring job, users can also instruct Gemini to perform the same task at a specific time each day (or on weekdays and weekends).

One may ask Gemini to, for instance, create five blog themes every Monday, summarize their schedule and unread emails every morning, or provide a summary of an event, such as an award show, the day after it airs. These prompts give a multitude of options and can be set to be triggered by time, date, or even particular occurrences.

Users can launch the Gemini app, tap their profile symbol in the top right corner to access Settings, then select the new planned Actions page to view, manage, or remove a planned action. This page will display all of the planned tasks that are listed.

Users can schedule up to ten active activities at once, according to Google. A new “Scheduled actions” option under Settings in the Gemini app, which is available on desktop and mobile devices, allows you to view, pause, or delete all planned actions. For consistent results, Gemini will use the original location of the action if the task is location-based.

According to Google, consumers can request that Gemini complete a variety of prearranged activities. For example, users can ask Gemini to provide five original blog or video ideas or to summarize the events on their calendar or unread emails every morning when they wake up. One-off duties like presenting a synopsis of an event (like the Summer Game Fest) the day after it airs are also included.

Additionally, Scheduled Actions can be used to monitor a sports team, the performance of a company’s stock, details about a current news topic, and more. Whether the capability will ever be made available to customers on Gemini’s free tier is unknown.

On mobile devices, scheduled actions are sent as push notifications, informing consumers without requiring them to constantly open the app.

This feature advances Google’s overarching goal of making Gemini genuinely helpful and agent-like, rather than just chatty. Notably, ChatGPT recently gave its users access to comparable automated reminder features.