Want to use Gemini AI on an older Android phone? It now works on OS versions before Android 12

Here's some good news for those of you with an older Android smartphone wanting to use Google's Gemini assistant, as the AI is now available for earlier versions of the mobile platform - plus a new 'conversation mode' is inbound for the app.

Previously, you needed a handset running Android 12 or better to use the Gemini app, but now, that has been pushed back to include phones with Android 10 or 11 installed on them.

Leaker @AssembleDebug on X (formerly Twitter) made this clear, as reported by Android Authority (via TechRadar).

Android 10 was released in 2019, so now any phone produced in the last five years should be able to run the Gemini app (you'll need 4GB of RAM, though, it should be noted).

As observed in the above post on X, @AssembleDebug also highlighted something else that has just happened with Gemini - the AI is apparently set to be improved with a new 'conversation mode' on Android.

Obviously enough, this will emulate a conversation, allowing you to talk directly to the AI (via the mic) to deliver queries, and a theory raised on X is that it's possible that this will be a continuous dialogue that can go on without having to manually trigger listening mode for the AI (after you speak each time).

It's still early days for the Gemini app on Android, so doubtless we can expect new abilities to come through pretty regularly from Google. Whether 'conversation mode' is actually realized in the AI, we'll just have to wait and see.