Gemini 4 Argon and the latest Gemini updates: Windows and Mac apps, skills and more
Google has launched Gemini 4 Argon, its most powerful model, and packed the Gemini app with new features: desktop apps, skills that replace Gems and a new Customize menu.
Gemini, Google’s AI assistant app, has received a wave of updates over the past two months. Here are the most important ones, based on Google’s official release notes.
At a glance
| Date | What’s new | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| October 13 | Gemini 4 Argon, the most powerful model | Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers |
| October 13 | New Customize menu with 40+ connected apps | All users |
| October 13 | Antigravity for coding from the Mac app | Eligible accounts, English only |
| September 30 | Skills, replacing Gems | 18+ for now |
| September 10 | Windows app | Windows 10 or later |
Gemini 4 Argon: the model for complex tasks
Since October 13, Google has been rolling out Gemini 4 Argon worldwide to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. It’s Google’s frontier model, built to handle long tasks from start to finish.
Google’s examples include analyzing a complex financial report, building a presentation from scattered sources and designing an interactive 3D model.
If you use Gemini for free, you’ll stay on your plan’s models.
Customize: make Gemini your own
A Customize option now appears in the left-hand menu. From one place you can:
- Adjust how Gemini responds to you.
- Add skills for repetitive tasks, like writing in your style.
- Connect 40+ apps and services. Google’s examples include Instacart for groceries, OpenTable for restaurant bookings and Adobe for photo editing.
Note: most of those connected apps work in English and in the United States. Some are coming to other English-speaking countries, Brazil and India.
Skills: goodbye, Gems
Skills are instructions you save once and Gemini uses automatically when needed. For example: “always write in short sentences without jargon” or “follow my company’s format”. You can combine several at once.
Gemini can even create a skill from a chat you liked.
What happens to my Gems? Google says skills will soon replace Gems, and Gems will be converted into skills automatically, so you won’t lose anything.
Gemini on your computer: Windows and Mac
- Windows (10 or later): press Alt + Space anywhere to open Gemini without switching windows. It connects to Gmail and Google Drive and creates images with Nano Banana.
- Mac: the app includes Antigravity, an agent that writes code for you in the background. You approve its plan, carry on with your work and it lets you know when the code is ready for review. It’s English-only and for users 18+.
Both are available at gemini.google/desktop.
Is it worth paying for?
It depends on what you use it for. For questions, summaries and emails, the free version is usually enough. Gemini 4 Argon makes a difference on long, complex work: reports, data analysis or technical projects. If in doubt, try it free first and see whether it falls short.
Want better answers from Gemini? Try the tips in how to write good prompts. And if you’re into games, Google has also launched Playground for making video games with AI.
