What you need to know
- Google appears to be rolling out “Ask about this PDF” feature for Gemini Advanced users.
- The feature initially announced at Google IO is now official for Gemini Advanced users running Android 15.
- It allows users to ask questions about the PDF, which is accessed via Files by Google app.
Early this year at Google IO, the search giant announced several new features for its AI assistant Gemini. One such nifty feature is “Ask this PDF” for Gemini Advanced users, which is finally seeing a wider rollout.
As noted by Mishaal Rahman in his recent Threads post, the feature appears to be widely available for Gemini Advanced users. The “Ask about this PDF” feature primarily allows Gemini to give you answers regarding the document when invoked on your Android phone.
Post by @mishaal_rahman
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For instance, by opening a PDF file from the Files by Google app and triggering Gemini within the app, users can now see a new “Ask about this PDF” option right above the Gemini floating window. Tapping the option would allow them to ask questions about the document and its contents.
The feature was announced earlier at Google IO and is now starting to appear for Gemini Advanced users running Android 15 versions. Rahman also notes that users need to set Gemini as their Assistant on Android phones to use this feature flawlessly. The primary aim of this feature is to save you time from scrolling through multiple pages, particularly if the PDFs have many pages..
Analyzing PDFs isn’t entirely new, as files stored in Google Drive can easily be analyzed with the help of the Gemini extension in the respective app. The integration can analyze and summarize based on the contents of the PDF file.
However, the new “Ask about this PDF” feature can be helpful for locally stored PDF files on your phone when accessed through the Files by Google app, which also recently got a new PDF viewer upgrade.
Instead of the previous Google Drive integration, it is a new document viewer specific to the Files app. The new PDF viewer in the Files by Google app allows users to easily share, star, and take actions while viewing the PDF with a new interface.
Both new features might enhance the document viewing experience, making it quite convenient for Android 15 users relying on Google’s AI assistant.