Anthropic says Claude can work with Android apps now, so I examined it in opposition to Gemini

It’s no secret that I love Claude and prefer it to ChatGPT and Gemini! I additionally attain out to the Claude Android app extra usually than to Gemini for a lot of duties. So, you may think about my pleasure once I heard that Claude can now work with Android apps.

In a support page published on August 25, the corporate defined how Claude can entry a number of apps/options on an Android smartphone. Surely, I needed to take a look at the function and believed Claude would possibly as effectively exchange Gemini on my gadget.

Last week, I up to date Claude for Android to the newest model and determined to check its Android capabilities in opposition to Gemini’s.

What Claude claims it might management on Android

It’s a slightly in depth listing

Before I inform you what labored and what did not, we should perceive what Anthropic claims Claude can do. According to Anthropic, Claude can assist you with the next:

• Drafting and sending messages utilizing default messaging apps and third-party ones like WhatsApp and Slack
• Composing emails in order that the e-mail app will open with the drafted content material prefilled
• Set alarms and timers utilizing the corresponding apps on Android
• Display areas on maps and present navigation choices
• Access present location and provide contextual options

I used to be fairly excited to see this new performance.

For what it is value, Anthropic does point out a couple of limitations, such because the function not with the ability to entry contacts, reminders, or calendar occasions owned by others. It additionally mentions how some features are limited to certain subscription plans and geographical areas.

The alarm and timer requests by no means failed

Spoiler: they do not want Gemini’s assist

There are two actions that Claude could easily perform on my Android smartphone: setting a timer and setting an alarm.

The concept is easy: you need to do one thing inside a time, and also you ask Claude to set a timer for, as an instance, 2 minutes. Within a second, Claude began the timer, and I might see it operating within the default Clock app on my smartphone. There was additionally a See Timers button, however it led me straight to the Clock app, not a Claude web page.

Similarly, you may set an alarm. You’d say one thing like, “Set an alarm for 11:30 am,” and Claude does the job. This is an space the place you see the advantage of AI: for those who say a time that would imply two various things, Claude will ask you for clarification. One night, I requested Claude to set an alarm for 11:00, and the AI chatbot requested me whether or not I meant 11 am or a couple of hours after.

These choices labored effectively and are fairly effectively built-in with Android.

Calendar administration is the nice shock

Potential conflicts apart, it simply scheduled issues

Calendar administration is a kind of areas the place Claude for Android makes life simpler and effectively manages your smartphone calendar. As somebody who manages a number of calendars on my gadget, I discover it helpful to view and handle occasions from a chatbot I commonly use. Claude appears to ship on this entrance.

Note: It’s barely completely different when you’ve got arrange a Google Calendar connection. When you ask for a calendar administration system, Claude will resort to that choice. To entry your gadget calendar, flip off the Google Calendar connector, so Claude can entry it as an alternative.

When you arrange calendar entry for the primary time, you can choose which calendars Claude can access. This is a superb choice as a result of the Google Calendar connector solely lets you join one account, however I’ve a number of accounts on my gadget. This function has been fairly helpful. Once the setup is completed, you may ask Claude to indicate you what is forward for you subsequent week or so as to add a brand new occasion.

Once once more, Claude’s sensible chatbot can perceive once you say one thing complicated and will provide you with a few choices to select from. Generally, utilizing Claude to handle my calendar has been a pleasing expertise, so long as we keep away from possession and different conflicts.

Some options that by no means fairly labored

These sections want critical work earlier than they’re marketed

Messaging, maps, and location-based options are a couple of different issues that Anthropic claims Claude can do on Android, however these had been higher when promised than delivered. Compared to the opposite choices I examined, the options constructed into Claude for messaging folks or getting location-based options had been both damaged or appeared to wish a mediator.

Messaging choices closely relied on web-based connectors

Though Anthropic claims that Claude for Android can ship textual content messages together with WhatsApp and Slack messages, this didn’t appear to work. Even once I particularly requested Claude to ship a message to a given quantity, it explicitly advised me that it can not ship WhatsApp or textual content messages, however as an alternative opened a hyperlink the place it loaded WhatsApp.

When I requested Claude to ship a message through Slack, it opened the web-based connector I had arrange earlier. When I turned off this connector and tried once more, Claude requested me to show it on. Sure, this technically implies that Claude can ship a message on Slack, however it would not do something particular on an Android smartphone. Instead, it makes use of a generic connector out there on all units.

When it got here to maps and location-based options, Claude did ship, however it nearly felt just like the app was merely pulling in content material from Google Maps and synthesizing it at a really floor degree.

Email and maps-based actions do not work as marketed, both

The state of affairs was considerably comparable once I requested Claude to ship an electronic mail as effectively. It instantly resorted to the related Gmail account and requested if it might do it for me. When I turned off the connector, the choice didn’t exist, and it stated it might provide me an “Open in Mail” button, which is half-baked, to say the least.

When it got here to maps and location-based options, Claude did ship, however it nearly felt just like the app was merely pulling in content material from Google Maps and synthesizing it at a really floor degree. It didn’t provide the seamless expertise I obtained once I was asking it to examine my calendar or set a timer. Similarly, it says it might assist you navigate to a location, however it couldn’t begin turn-by-turn navigation in any respect.

Not a Gemini substitute, a minimum of not but

For all I like what Claude has constructed for Android, it’s not but a Gemini substitute. As you may clearly see, there are sections that want a revamp and higher permissions to supply an expertise that matches Gemini’s. Given that Anthropic has optimized sure options, reminiscent of timers, calendars, and alarms, for a smoother expertise, I’m certain there will be higher choices. Until then, although, I’ll follow Gemini for many of my AI help wants and provides Claude a attempt someday later!