Install it on your laptop and your phone

Build-along · ~10 min at your own keyboard

You can use an assistant in a browser tab. An app is better. It opens faster, it stays one click away, and your phone and laptop share the same chat history. Sign in once on each device with the same account. Then a question you start on your phone at a job site is waiting on your laptop at your desk.

Ladder · Level 0The long version: Install on laptop and phone ↗

Mac: Open the Mac App Store, or download the .dmg from the vendor's site. For a .dmg, open it and drag the app into the Applications folder. Then open Launchpad or press Cmd-Space and type the app name. The first launch may ask 'Are you sure you want to open it?' Click Open. Pin it to the Dock: right-click the icon, Options, Keep in Dock.

Windows: Open the Microsoft Store and search for the app, or download the installer (.exe or .msix) from the vendor's site and double-click it. The app lands in the Start menu: press the Windows key and type its name. Right-click it and choose 'Pin to taskbar'. If Windows SmartScreen warns you, check the publisher name, then choose 'More info' and 'Run anyway'.

Do this

0/5

Checkpoints

▸You should now see the desktop app open on your laptop with your name or email in a corner.
▸You should now see your phone chat show a reply to your hello message.
▸You should now see that phone chat listed in the sidebar on your laptop.

The three ways this goes wrong

The phone asks you to create a new account. — Tap 'Sign in', not 'Sign up'. Use the same email and the same sign-in method (Google, Apple, or email) as on the laptop.
The desktop app is not in your computer's app store. — Go to the vendor's own site and open its Download page. Not every assistant ships an app for every system. If there is none, install the site as an app from your browser menu: 'Install' or 'Add to Dock'.
The laptop does not show the phone chat. — Check that both devices show the same email. Close and reopen the app. Chats can take a minute to sync.

Dated facts in this lesson: Gemini has a native Windows app (September 10, 2026), a Mac app and mobile apps. Gemini Live voice is on the Free tier (researched Oct 4, 2026, not yet confirmed by a person: check the source before you rely on it); The merged Copilot app runs on Windows, Mac, mobile and web, with a switch between a work and a personal account. Secondary source (researched Oct 4, 2026, not yet confirmed by a person: check the source before you rely on it).

Share what happened

Paste the first reply you got on your phone and the first reply you got on your laptop. Or describe a screenshot of each in one line.

Strip API keys, passwords, and tokens before you paste. Swap them for [KEY].

🔒 Don't paste confidential, personal-health, or payment info.