Guides
Evergreen guides to the AI features in apps you already use: how to turn them off, what they cost, and which devices get them.
Nano Banana Explained: Is Gemini's Image Generator Free?
Nano Banana 2 is the image generator inside the Gemini app, and it is free: Google lists image generation on every plan, including no plan at all. What money buys is the Pro redo, 2K downloads and video. You must be 13 to generate images and 18 to edit them.
Gemini Daily Brief: What It Is, Who Gets It, and What It Costs
Daily Brief is Gemini's once-a-day morning digest of your Gmail, Calendar and past chats. It is not free: you need Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra, starting at $4.99 a month. Google also limits it to people 18 or over in the United States, on a personal account, in English.
Gemini Live: What It Is, Whether It's Free, and What It Can See
Gemini Live is Google's talk-out-loud mode in the Gemini mobile app, and Google lists it under the free plan. You need the app on Android or iPhone and a Google Account, 13 or over. It can see your camera and screen. Transcripts are used to train Google's AI when Keep Activity is on; audio and video are not, by default.
Gemini Personal Intelligence: What It Reads and How to Turn It Off
Personal Intelligence lets Gemini read your Gmail, Contacts, Photos, Search history and YouTube history to personalize its answers. It is opt-in and per-app: 18-plus, personal Google accounts only, and blocked in the UK, EEA, Switzerland and Nigeria. Google lists no paid plan requirement. You can disconnect any app or switch it off mid-chat.
Gemini Spark Explained: What It Is, Do You Get It, and Is It Free?
Gemini Spark is Google's 24/7 personal AI agent that does tasks for you -- managing email, booking, and errands across your apps under your direction. It is not free: you need Google AI Pro or Ultra, and since July 30, 2026 Pro qualifies almost everywhere, not just the US. It stays blocked in the UK, the EEA, Switzerland and Nigeria.
How to Turn Off Gmail's AI Features (and What Each One Does)
Gmail's AI features are controlled by two settings groups: "smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet" and "Google Workspace smart features." Turning both off disables Gemini summaries, Help me write, Smart Compose, and Smart Reply -- but you also lose package tracking, inbox categories, and flight events in Calendar.
What Is an AI Agent, in Plain Terms?
An AI agent is AI that does things for you instead of just answering you: it can browse websites, fill forms, compare prices, and book or buy with your approval. Real shipped examples in 2026 include ChatGPT's agent mode, Google's Gemini agent features in Chrome, Claude for Chrome, and Amazon's Buy for Me.
Which iPhones Get Apple Intelligence (and What You Actually Get)
Apple Intelligence runs on iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, every iPhone 16 model (including 16e), every iPhone 17 model (including 17e), and iPhone Air. Standard iPhone 15 and anything older miss out because they lack the A17 Pro chip and 8 GB of RAM. You turn it on or off in Settings under Apple Intelligence & Siri.