How to Use Google Gemini Al (Full Tutorial)

Key Takeaways

In this video, I will show you how to use Google Gemini step-by-step, so you can write, analyze files, and create content with AI. Gemini is Google's AI assistant, but what makes it different is it's already connected to your Google apps like Gmail, Docs, and Drive, so you can actually work with your real data. I'm Kevin, and let's dive in. Let's start with the basics. To follow along, just go to gemini.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Once you're here, you'll see the main prompt box where you can ask anything. You can upload files, or you can even pull in content from Google Drive, since everything is already connected. Let's try it out. I run a small business called the Kevin Cookie Company, and we're launching a new oatmeal raisin cookie. Here in the prompt box, I'll type in write an email announcing our new oatmeal raisin cookie. Keep it friendly and exciting. Once you enter in your prompt, right over here, let's press this button to run it. And just like that, Gemini generates a full draft and even prepares it directly as an email. This is where Gemini really stands out. Since it's connected to apps like Gmail, it can take what you generate and plug it directly into your workflow. Now, in this case, it's already filled in the recipients. Here, we have the subject line, and I have the body or the message all created for me. Now, before sending anything, it's always a good idea to review all the text and make any necessary edits. Now, I could edit directly in here. For example, let me add one more line to the end of this email. Or, right down below, I could also edit in Gmail to make changes. And, of course, if I want to refine further, down here, I can continue prompting to, let's say, make it shorter, change the tone, or maybe adjust the format. One of the biggest things to know is you don't need the perfect prompt. Just start with something simple, then refine it until it's exactly what you want. Next, let's look at Canvas, where you can prompt while working side by side with your content. First, let's open up a new chat in the top left-hand corner. I'll click on this icon. Right down here in the prompt box, let's click on the plus icon and right here, let's select canvas. And then, I'll enter in my prompt. Write a short blog post announcing our new oatmeal raisin cookie. Then, let's run that. This opens up canvas. It's a side-by-side workspace. Over on the right-hand side, I can edit this document directly. And over on the left-hand side, I have my chat. And then, I also have the prompt box where I can make broader changes. Now, looking at this blog post, I notice that we don't actually call out that we use organic ingredients. And we charge a lot, so we should probably call that out. So, down below in the prompt box, I'll type in, "Make sure to call out that we only use organic ingredients." And then, let's try running that. Over on the right-hand side, it now highlights all of the changes that it made. Here, it calls out 100% certified organic, and it even added a bullet point calling out that it's purely organic. Now, if for whatever reason, I'd like to revert back to a previous version, right up on top, I have that option. Now, over on the right-hand side, we also have a few other neat options. Right here, I can change the length of this document. I can click there, we can make it shorter, or we can make it longer. And I also have the option to change the tone. Now, one of my favorite features, I can highlight a section of this document, and then I have the option to ask Gemini. So, let's say for this intro, I'd like to rewrite it to maybe be a little bit more playful. Now, let's try running that. Now, it rewrites just that one individual section. So, instead of copying this somewhere else and going back and forth, I can stay right here in the canvas and refine everything in just one place. Next, let's look at how you can work with files in Google Gemini. Instead of just typing prompts, you can upload documents and have Gemini analyze them for you. You can click on this plus icon to upload a file, or you can pull one directly from Google Drive. But, my preferred method is to just drag and drop it onto this page from your PC. Over here, I'll upload a sales spreadsheet for our new oatmeal raisin cookies. Now that I've uploaded the file, I can ask questions about it. So, let's ask, "What do your oatmeal raisin cookies sales look like?" Now that I've typed that in, let's run that. And, just like that, it analyzed the data and it even generates a visual. It looks like we sold about 570 oatmeal raisin cookies. And, looking at this, it's been steadily increasing over time. Now, this is a quick way to go from just raw data to actual insights. I have a meeting coming up with my manager, Patty, to share this data, but I don't quite remember when it is. Let's use Gemini. Down below in the prompt field, type in the at symbol, and here you'll see all of your different connected apps. As an example, we have calendar, Keep, Gmail, and we have more. Now, that's one of the great things about Gemini. It's already connected to all of your Google apps. At the top, let's select Google Calendar, and then let's type in a prompt. I'll enter in, "When is my meeting with Patty to check on the sales for the oatmeal raisin cookies?" And over here, let's run that. And, just like that, Gemini finds the event and tells me exactly when it's scheduled. This way, I don't have to dig through my calendar. I just ask and I get the answer instantly. The only downside is, who schedules meetings this early in the morning? So far, we've been using Gemini directly in the Gemini app, but Google has also built Gemini right into apps like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. Here in Gmail, I can enter in a forward slash, or down at the bottom, I can click on the Gemini icon to help me draft a message. Let's write a message to Patty letting her know about the oatmeal raisin cookie sales. Then, over here, I'll click on create. Now, Gemini will draft a message for me. Overall, this looks good. Down below, I can now insert this into my message. There are also a number of other AI features built directly into Gmail. I've included a separate video right down below that walks through all of them in more detail. Now, here in Google Docs, you'll also see Gemini built directly into the document right down here at the bottom. Let's try entering in a prompt. Write a newsletter announcing the new Kevin Cookie Company Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and then let's do that. Gemini will now generate a first draft, and it just takes a few seconds. And there we go. And just like we saw in Canvas over here, I can also highlight text and then I can ask Gemini to refine, rewrite, or shorten the text. Now, over here in Google Sheets, up on the top toolbar, there's a dedicated Gemini menu where you can analyze data, generate charts, create pivot tables, or down below, you can even just ask anything about your spreadsheet data. So, that's Gemini built directly into the Google apps. Now, let's jump back over to the main Gemini app and look at another capability, image generation. Instead of just generating text, you can also describe what you want and have Gemini create an image for you. Right down below, I'll type in my prompt. Create an image of a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies on a wooden table with warm lighting and a cozy bakery feel. Then, let's run that. Those look delicious. Although here, I see a coffee cup. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but I do enjoy my milk. So, down below, we can continue refining this image. Let's see if we can swap that out for a glass of milk, and then let's run that. And there we go, right there. Along with generating images, if you click on the plus icon, you can also use Gemini to create video. And if I click on more tools here, a new one, you can even have it create music. That's a fun one. Next, let's look at how you can get back to everything you've created in Google Gemini. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Gemini logo to open up the sidebar, and here you'll see all of your recent chats. If you have a lot of conversations like me, right here, you can use search to quickly find what you're looking for. You'll also see what's called the library. Now, I'll click on this. This is where all of your documents, canvases, and generated media live. There's that image of the oatmeal raisin cookies that we just generated. This makes it easy to stay organized and pick up your work at any time. As you use Gemini, you'll probably end up with lots and lots of chats. To help keep everything organized, you can group related chats together using something called a notebook. Let's create a new notebook. Over on the left-hand side, I'll click on new notebook and right here, let's click on get started. Now, I need to give my notebook a name. I'll call this the oatmeal raisin cookie launch and then here, let's click on go. Over on the left-hand side, you can now see that I have a new notebook. Now, as a first step, we can add sources to this notebook. I'll click here. And here, you can upload files, you can add from drive, you can add websites, or you can even add copied text. Here, I'll close out of this view. Over on the left-hand side, you can also add existing chats to this notebook. Here, I'll take a few of our chats related to this launch. So, I'll click on the three dots here and let's add it to a notebook. I'll select the oatmeal raisin cookie launch. I'll select that and let me also add this in. Here, I'll add that to the notebook and here, I can see the chats show up. The nice thing about notebooks is that Gemini can now answer questions across all of the connected sources and the chats. Let's try an example. Right here, I'll click on ask Gemini and let's ask how many cookies did we sell? Now, that answer is in one of my chats. Let's try running that. And there it is. It tells me 570 units, which is the same number that we saw earlier. Now, let's click back into the main notebook view. Over on the left-hand side, I'll click back into this and at the top, we have something called notebook LM. This gives even more advanced notebook functionality. Let's click on that. This drops us into notebook LM and not only can you ask questions across your sources and chats, just like we saw in the previous view, but you also get some additional functionality. As an example, you can generate an audio overview, a slide deck, a video overview, a mind map, and many other items. Now, Notebook LM is especially useful when you want AI to work from your own files instead of just the general web information. All right. Hopefully, this gives you a good foundation for getting started with Google Gemini. If you want to dive deeper, check out the playlist linked in the description and also as a pinned comment right down below. Thanks for watching and I will see you in the next video.