AI is everywhere.
It’s on your desktop, the web, and your phone. Even if you didn’t install an AI app on your Android device, Google Gemini is already there because Google decided to put it there.
If you like the idea of having AI with you at all times, what Android apps should you consider as your best option?
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You have many choices. And they’re all free.
First, know this: Android now ships with a default AI app that doesn’t just serve to answer your queries. It’s baked deep into the operating system.
With that said, let’s talk apps.
1. Google Gemini
Gemini is the default AI for Android, and Google has done an excellent job of spreading the AI love throughout the system. Because of that, Gemini is probably the best fit for the average user. With Gemini, there is nothing to install or configure (at least for basic usage). I would, however, disable the Gemini Workspaces extension so you don’t have to worry about the AI using your Workspace files as a training ground.
I’ve been using Google Gemini as my assistant since it was first made available, and it has served me well. However, while I do use Gemini as my onboard assistant, I don’t use it as my go-to AI tool.
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One non-assistant feature on Gemini is definitely worth using, and that’s Gemini Live. I’ve had several conversations with Gemini Live that have helped me solve complex problems with complicated plot situations (such as understanding how long-term exposure on the moon would affect the human body and psyche). Gemini is the way to go if you just need a powerful AI-driven assistant and maybe the occasional conversation with AI.
2. Perplexity
Perplexity is my go-to for AI queries. I find the UI simple to use, I get easy access to daily news summaries, I can create Spaces to better manage and categorize my queries, and I can even view a library of my queries. Perplexity is AI done right for the mobile device, and the only app I can imagine would take its place is if Msty comes to Android and the Ollama install is enabled via the Google Play Store (which I don’t see happening any time soon).
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I’ve been using Perplexity as my default search engine on my desktop for a while now and find using it on Android to be just as easy and helpful. Even better, Perplexity is free to install and use.
3. DeepSeek
DeepSeek is an AI development firm based in Hangzhou, China and the company has open-sourced many of its LLMs. DeepSeek set out to challenge OpenAI with a reinforcement learning model (versus OpenAI’s supervised and instruction-based fine-tuning approach). DeepSeek also cost a fraction of what OpenAI to develop.
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On the Google Play Store, you’ll find two versions of DeepSeek: Deep Think (an AI chatbot) and DeepSeek (an AI assistant). Go for DeepSeek. With this app you can run deep queries or more basic searches. There’s also photo and image OCR as well as document upload.
One thing to keep in mind: After running a DeepSeek query, it almost feels as if you’re geting to watch the AI think and reason, which can be simultaneously pretty cool and annoying. You can use DeepSeek for free on Android, although you do have to sign up for an account (which is also free).
4. Microsoft Copilot
Copilot is a pretty good AI offering. With this app, you can use it for standard AI queries, help writing first drafts, get advice, learn something, create images, make plans, brainstorm ideas, practice a language, and more. I look at Copilot as a sort of catch-all AI app. Copilot is also very good at summarizing the daily news for you (which is the primary reason I use the app) because I can tell it to provide more details on a particular news item and even see its sources.
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The one thing missing from the Android Copilot app is the ability to do deep research (a feature that’s available on the web and desktop versions). If Microsoft would add the deep think option, I would see Copilot as a much more viable AI tool for Android. Even without it, Copilot is an easy entry point into the world of AI on Android. You can install and use Copilot for free, but you do have to sign up for an account (or use an existing Microsoft account).
5. Opera’s Aria
Opera’s Aria was the very first AI tool I used. When I was writing my Violent Delights book series, it made naming characters easy. (I named characters using various combinations of classical composers’ first and last names.) One thing to remember is that Aria might come off as a bit basic compared to the other apps on the list. With Aria you can ask standard AI queries, upload images, use voice to text, ask it to summarize the top news of the day, and even view sample queries you can run.
Opera’s Aria is a bit of a slog to get to. On the Opera Start page, you’ll find a folder with the Aria shortcut. Open that folder and tap the shortcut to use the tool. Opera Aria is found within the Opera web browser, so you have to install that to use It. You can install and use Opera for free, and Aria doesn’t require a plan or even a sign-up.
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