Synopsis
Google launched “switching tools” in Gemini, letting users import “memories” and full chat histories from other AI apps. The feature quickly transfers preferences and context, making adoption easier. The move targets to attract users of rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic and make them switch to Gemini.“…our new memory import feature can easily bring an understanding of your key preferences, relationships, and personal context directly into Gemini. Once you import these memories, Gemini will understand the same key facts you’ve shared with other apps, like your interests, your sibling’s name, or where you grew up,” Google said in a blog post.
The goal is to make it much simpler for people to start using Gemini. Instead of spending time teaching the assistant about their preferences and past interactions, users can quickly transfer that context from other AI tools.
To bring a user’s “memory” from other AI apps into Gemini, a user just has to go to Settings and choose the import option. The user will then receive a suggested prompt to copy and paste into their existing AI app. Once that app generates a summary of preferences and context, the user can copy the response and paste it into Gemini. The system will then analyse the information and securely store it, making it available for future chats.
The process is slightly different for importing chat histories. Users can upload past conversations in a zip file. Many chatbots (including ChatGPT and Claude) already allow exports in this format. This means users can “seamlessly pick up right where you left off,” according to Google.
The company added that users will also be able to search through “past conversation threads and continue building on them right inside Gemini.”
The move seems to be aimed at drawing users away from rivals such as OpenAI and Anthropic. In February, OpenAI announced that it had reached 900 million weekly active users. In contrast, despite its wide distribution, Alphabet said in its fourth-quarter earnings call that Gemini has only reached 750 million monthly active users.
Earlier this month, Anthropic also launched a similar memory import feature, as it looks to retain users gained amid its ongoing dispute with the US government.
