I have been using Gemini a lot lately, but I have been noticing some inconsistencies. Some responses were sharp and useful, while others felt laggy or completely missed the point.
I would rephrase prompts, add more detail, or try again, but the results didn’t always improve. If anything, they got worse the longer I stayed in the same chat.
It took me longer than it should have to realize the problem was how I was using it.
I had a habit of keeping one conversation going for everything related to a topic. But after a while, the responses slowed down, and Gemini started pulling in irrelevant details.
After I changed how I handled those long chats, everything snapped back into place.
Long chats stopped making sense after a while
The longer the chat got, the worse it worked
Initially, keeping everything in one Gemini chat felt like the right move. All details were consolidated in one place, eliminating repetition, and each new prompt expanded upon the previous one.
But after a point, its responses took longer. Sometimes Gemini would pull in something from much earlier in the conversation that wasn’t relevant to the topic, or miss the point entirely.
When a thread gets too long or too mixed, context starts getting in the way. Gemini tries to account for everything that came before, even when most of it isn’t relevant anymore.
The fix was simpler than I thought
I stopped forcing one chat to do everything
I assumed I’d need better prompts or some trick to “reset” the chat. I realized the solution was simpler: I stopped trying to make one long Gemini thread do everything.
Instead of pushing through a chat that was already getting messy, I started fresh.
That felt counterintuitive at first. Starting a new chat sounded like losing everything I’d already built up. But the moment I moved to a new thread, responses were faster and actually stayed on track.
Quiz
Google Gemini
Trivia Challenge
From Bard to bold redesigns — how well do you know Google’s AI assistant and its evolving look?
OriginsDesignFeaturesBrandingAI Tech
What was the name of Google’s AI chatbot before it was rebranded as Gemini?
Correct! Google Bard launched in March 2023 and was rebranded to Gemini in February 2024. The name change reflected a shift to align the product with Google’s underlying Gemini large language model family.
Not quite — the answer is Google Bard. Bard launched in early 2023 as Google’s answer to ChatGPT, before being rebranded to Gemini in February 2024 to better reflect the AI model powering it.
The Gemini logo is characterized by a distinctive star-like shape. How many points does the Gemini logo mark have?
Correct! The Gemini logo features a four-pointed star that resembles a shimmering light or sparkle. This shape has become one of Google’s most recognisable AI iconography symbols across its product suite.
Not quite — the Gemini logo uses a four-pointed star shape. It’s designed to evoke a glimmering light or spark, and you’ll spot this same motif used across Google’s various AI-powered features throughout its apps.
What potentially controversial design change was Gemini recently spotted testing in its interface?
Correct! Gemini was spotted testing a design that relocates the chat input bar from its traditional bottom position to the top of the screen. This is considered controversial because it breaks from the ergonomic thumb-friendly convention most mobile chat apps follow.
Not quite — the controversial design change being tested is moving the chat input bar from the bottom to the top of the screen. While it may aid discoverability, many users find bottom-placed inputs more comfortable to reach on modern large-screen phones.
Which of the following best describes the Gemini model tier designed for the most complex, high-capability tasks?
Correct! Gemini Ultra is Google’s most powerful model tier, built for highly complex reasoning and multimodal tasks. It sits at the top of a tiered family that also includes Gemini Pro and the lightweight Gemini Nano.
Not quite — Gemini Ultra is the top-tier model. Google structured its Gemini family into tiers: Nano for on-device tasks, Pro for everyday use, and Ultra for the most demanding applications requiring deep reasoning and multimodal understanding.
Which Google Workspace app was one of the first to deeply integrate Gemini AI assistance directly into its interface?
Correct! Gmail was among the first Google Workspace apps to receive deep Gemini integration, offering features like email summarisation and AI-assisted reply drafting. This integration has since expanded across Docs, Sheets, and more.
Not quite — Gmail was one of the earliest and deepest Gemini integrations in Google Workspace. Features like smart summarisation and Help Me Write made it a flagship showcase for what Gemini could do inside everyday productivity tools.
In what month and year did Google officially rebrand Bard to Gemini?
Correct! Google officially rebranded Bard to Gemini in February 2024. The rebrand coincided with the launch of the dedicated Gemini mobile app and the introduction of the Gemini Advanced subscription tier powered by Ultra 1.0.
Not quite — the rebrand happened in February 2024. Google used the occasion to simultaneously launch the standalone Gemini app for Android and introduce Gemini Advanced, a premium subscription offering powered by the Ultra 1.0 model.
What is the primary color associated with the Gemini app icon and branding?
Correct! Gemini’s branding uses a flowing multicolour gradient blending blues, purples, and teals, evoking a cosmic, intelligent feel. This differentiates it visually from Google Assistant’s warmer colour palette and signals its AI-first identity.
Not quite — Gemini uses a multicolour gradient of blues, purples, and teals. The iridescent, almost galaxy-like quality of the palette was a deliberate design choice to set Gemini apart from previous Google AI products and give it a premium, futuristic feel.
What is the name of the lightweight Gemini model variant designed to run directly on-device, including on Android smartphones?
Correct! Gemini Nano is the on-device model designed to run locally on Android hardware without requiring a cloud connection. It powers features like Summarise in Recorder and Smart Reply, and was first deployed on Pixel 8 devices.
Not quite — it’s Gemini Nano. This compact model is optimised to run entirely on-device, meaning it can function without an internet connection. It debuted on the Pixel 8 series and enables privacy-friendly AI features that process data locally on your phone.
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The key was to find a balance between not starting from scratch and not bringing everything from past conversations.
I’d quickly pull out the information that mattered, usually a summary or a few key points, and paste that into a new chat. That gave Gemini enough to work with. If the conversation started slowing down or drifting, I’d start clean.
The prompts I use to keep things on track
The one step I don’t skip before starting over
Starting a new chat only works if you bring the right things with you. Early on, I made the mistake of copying too much over, which recreated the same problem in a new thread.
Now I keep it simple. Before I switch chats, I use Gemini itself to clean things up.
The first thing I usually ask is something like:
Summarize the key points from this conversation in a few lines.
That gives me a short version of the conversations.
If the chat is more specific, like research or planning, I’ll go a step further:
Turn this conversation into a short brief I can paste into a new chat so you understand the context. Include goals, constraints, and important details.
This approach is more effective because it eliminates unnecessary exchanges and retains only the relevant information. I don’t need every question I asked earlier or every version of a response.
Sometimes I’ll also ask:
What should I include if I want to continue this in a new chat?
That helps when I’m not sure what’s actually important versus what just felt important at the time.
When I have that, I start a new chat and paste it in as context. From there, I continue like normal.
The difference is noticeable right away. Responses stay focused, and they don’t drift into old topics.
Using instructions to keep the basics out of every chat
It removed the need to repeat myself
One thing that helped me avoid repeating myself was using the built-in instructions in Gemini.
There are certain things I would mention in almost every chat: how I like responses structured, the kind of tone I prefer, or the type of work I’m doing.
Earlier, I’d either retype this every time or let it pile up in a long thread, which only made things messier.
Saving those as instructions fixes that. On the Gemini website, open the sidebar menu to expand your chats and click Settings & help. From there, go to Personal context and tap Add. Enter the details you want Gemini to remember.
Now, when I start a new chat, I don’t need to re-explain how I want things formatted or what I’m working toward.
After I split it that way, things got a lot cleaner. I stopped repeating the same setup, and starting a new thread no longer felt like extra work.
I stopped forcing one chat to do everything
Keeping one chat going felt efficient, but it made everything worse over time.
After I stopped doing that and started treating chats as focused sessions, the difference was immediate. Responses became faster and easier to work with.
Adding Instructions in Gemini helped with the basics, so I didn’t have to repeat myself. Knowing when to switch chats helped prevent issues from occurring in the first place.
When you get used to that, going back to one long, overloaded chat doesn’t make much sense anymore.
