Since replacing Google Assistant, Gemini has become a significant AI chatbot addition to Android. However, many of its most advanced and intelligent features remain locked behind a paywall through Gemini Advanced. Slowly but surely, Google is expanding some of these capabilities to the free version, and now, it is rolling out support for file uploads.
Gemini Free Gets an Upgrade
Although powered by Google’s advanced LLMs, Gemini originally launched on Android as a basic chatbot with limited input options. Over time, it evolved into a multimodal AI, gaining new features, including file uploads for Advanced users—allowing them to analyze documents like spreadsheets and PDFs.
Now, as announced on Google’s Gemini account on X, free Gemini users on mobile and web can start uploading Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and PDF files from their device or Google Drive. This functionality is powered by the Gemini 2.0 Flash model. However, spreadsheets and presentations are not yet supported.
With this update, users can upload reports, CVs, or other documents for Gemini to analyze, extract information from, or answer questions about. Similar to the “Ask about this screen” or PDF analysis feature introduced last year, this can be particularly useful for summarizing documents directly within the Gemini chatbox.
Availability and Limitations of File Upload for Gemini
Currently, file uploading is only available within the Gemini app. If you summon Gemini via a shortcut (Gemini sheet), this feature is not yet accessible—though it’s expected to expand in the future.
This update makes Gemini a more capable standalone multimodal AI, offering valuable features to users without a premium Google One AI subscription.
The feature is rolling out as a server-side update, meaning you don’t need to manually update the Gemini app. As of now, file uploads are available on Gemini for Android and the web but not yet on iOS.
What are your favorite Gemini features and tricks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
