AICore update that brings Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 is now rolling out

Google’s Gemini Nano is an AI model that works on-device to execute AI tasks. It’s the smallest AI model in the Gemini family, but it is very important for all the internet-free, on-device AI capabilities it brings to a smartphone. Google’s Pixel 8 Pro is the only Pixel that can use Gemini Nano for Pixel AI capabilities, but the company caved in after an uproar to bring Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a, too. Just yesterday, we spotted the toggle for enabling on-device generative AI features within the Android AICore app, and now we can confirm that the Android AICore app update is rolling to the Pixel 8 at least.

My colleague Adamya Sharma received the Android AICore app update on her Pixel 8, which includes the toggle. Curiously, the Pixel 8 Pro app was also updated, but there is no toggle in it. We couldn’t locate the Android AICore app for the Pixel 8a, though.

As you can see, the Android AICore app versions for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are different. The Pixel 8 Pro already has Gemini Nano features, and a toggle like this would allow users to disable AI features, which isn’t possible currently. On the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8a, this toggle will allow users to enable AI features, as the phones lack them out of the box. The toggle isn’t enabled by default on these two phones.

Google will likely bring Gemini Nano support to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a in a future Feature Drop, so toggling this setting right now on the Pixel 8 doesn’t immediately begin downloading the Gemini Nano module. When the feature is rolled out, users will need to activate Developer Options and then toggle this new “Enabled on-device GenAI features” setting, which is present at Settings > System > Developer options > AICore Settings.

Did you receive the Android AICore app update on your Pixel smartphone? Did the toggle begin downloading Gemini Nano on your Pixel 8 or Pixel 8a? Let us know in the comments below!