How to Enable Gemini Nano on Google Pixel 8
Google caused quite a bit of backlash when it previously suggested that the Pixel 8 wouldn’t get the Gemini Nano , thereby depriving the base smartphone of on-device AI features. However, the company recently backtracked on this decision, saying it would still bring artificial intelligence features to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a. Now reports indicate that the Gemini Nano could soon be coming to the Pixel 8. The AI features themselves don’t seem to be available yet, but the option to enable them is there, so it’s a good idea to lay that groundwork now before the features actually come to fruition.
While many updates to your device may automatically enable new features by default, the Gemini Nano Pixel 8 features need to be enabled. This is because the features that the Nano will offer are not technically enabled on the device’s chip yet. To get around this issue, Google has added a toggle that enables Gemini, but to set it up you’ll need access to the Android AICore features on your phone.
How to Activate Gemini on Pixel 8
To activate Gemini on your Pixel 8, you first need to enable Developer Options. To do this, go to Settings > About Phone and find the build number in the list (it’s at the bottom).
Click on the build number seven times. You should see a pop-up saying that Developer Mode is enabled.
To activate Gemini on your Pixel 8, go to Settings > System > Developer Options > AICore Settings .
If your phone has a switch, it should appear in the list as the Enable Gemini features on device option.
Click the switch to turn it on, and bam, you’ve activated Gemini’s features.
So what exactly does it do? Unfortunately, this does not affect anything now. Google hasn’t released any of the built-in Gemini features in the Pixel 8, so we’ll have to wait for Google to add them to the device in a future Android feature release—Google just removed eight new features in May’s Features Drop , by the way.
Until the Gemini features are released, this switch doesn’t seem to do anything. But enabling this feature will prepare your device for any future feature releases in advance.