Gemini adds in-chat file editing, with PDFs on mobile

Google added in-chat file previews and editing to the Gemini app on October 29. Users can expand a generated file to full screen, type changes directly, or select text and ask the AI to revise it.

PDF editing works on the web and mobile. Google Docs, spreadsheets, presentations, Markdown, text and code are supported on the web. Google says the capabilities are available to users in every language where the Gemini app operates.

Presentation outlines and slide content can be previewed before opening in Google Slides or downloading as PPTX or PDF. Users can type changes or request adjustments to tone and structure.

Gemini can preview generated trackers, tables and data models, then open them in Google Sheets. The Workspace team also describes editing documents and PDFs manually or through prompts before uploading them to Drive.

File generation was already described in a Workspace announcement dated April 27. It covered downloadable Word, Excel, CSV and PDF files alongside native Workspace formats, with one generated file per prompt. The October announcement focuses on previewing and revising the result. It does not specifically establish editing support for Word and Excel files. Its format list also included LaTeX and rich-text RTF files. That announcement emphasized reducing copying, pasting and manual formatting when producing downloadable files.

Gemini also has Canvas, a workspace for refining documents and code. Its current help page describes direct document edits, requests to change selected passages and automatic saving. Text can be exported to a new Google Doc, while slides can go to Google Slides or PDF. Copying shared Canvas content to continue editing is currently a web feature for users aged 18 and over. Canvas also offers length and tone adjustments, heading styles and lists. Its help page describes navigating saved versions with previous- and next-version controls.

Existing input limits still shape work based on uploaded material. Google lists up to 10 supported files per prompt, subject to availability, and a 100MB limit for each supported file other than video. Its help page also warns that requests involving details scattered through a large file can miss connections or content.

Exporting creates a separate destination file. Google says exporting a response to Docs saves a new document in Drive; exporting a response table to Sheets also creates a new spreadsheet. That table-export option excludes tables containing images. Destination-service terms and policies apply to exported content, and Workspace export options depend on availability and organizational settings.

Gemini storage for earlier chats and uploaded files is separate from Drive or Workspace storage. Filling it can block further uploads. Uploading and analyzing files also has rolling usage limits that reset over time. Google offers higher file limits with its paid AI plans.

Document use also remains subject to account and activity settings. Google’s consumer privacy notice says chats and uploads are saved and used for service improvement, including model training, when Keep Activity is on. With it off, future chats are excluded from model training unless feedback is submitted, but are retained for 72 hours for responses and safety purposes. Work or school accounts may have different data-handling terms.

The new editing capabilities are available to personal Google accounts, Workspace Individual subscribers and all Workspace customers. Google lists both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains as available now. There is no separate administrator switch for this feature; organizations manage access to the Gemini app itself.