Since launching in April, Google's Gemini Mac app has failed to impress. The author, a Safari user, prefers using the browser's "Add to Dock" feature instead. This approach allows for better multitasking with multiple open chat windows via Command + N, something the native app doesn't support as well.

The native app suffers from several issues. Some chat threads don't work properly, replacing the text entry box with a button to open the website. Additionally, the app icon appears in "icon jail" due to Apple's strict requirements for macOS app icons, despite the app launching months after these rules were established.

John Gruber recently uninstalled the app after discovering it installs background processes without permission. The app adds "GeminiAppLauncher" to login items and GoogleUpdater as a background process that silently reinstalls itself if removed. The author keeps the app only for checking occasional updates that haven't fixed the existing issues.

For now, the Safari "Add to Dock" version remains the better option for using Gemini on Mac. It works reliably with all chat threads, provides the multitasking experience the author prefers, and avoids the invasive background processes of the native app. Google has yet to address these significant user experience concerns.