Google’s Simplify
In the ever-evolving world of technology, Google has once again taken the lead with its latest innovation, ‘Simplify’. As a British IT freelancer with a keen interest in AI and mobile technology, I can’t help but be excited about the potential this new tool brings to the table.
Simplify: What Is It?
In May 2025, Google rolled out a new feature for iOS users called Simplify. Built directly into the Google app for iPhones, Simplify is designed to make dense, jargon-filled web content easier to understand. Whether you’re reading a medical journal, a legal document, or a technical article, Simplify lets you highlight any complex paragraph and, with a tap, transforms it into clear, readable language-all without leaving the page you’re on.
Unlike traditional summarization tools that may skip important details, Simplify aims to preserve the original meaning while rephrasing complicated structures into more digestible text.
Simplify is currently exclusive to the Google app on iOS, with no official word yet on Android or desktop Chrome support.
How Does It Work?
The magic behind Simplify lies in Google’s advanced AI, specifically the Gemini model. When you select text and tap the Simplify icon, the app uses Gemini to analyze and rewrite the content in real time. The process involves two AI systems working together: one assesses the readability and fidelity of the simplified text, while the other ensures that the essential details from the original are retained.
This iterative approach means the AI keeps refining its output until it produces a version that’s both accurate and easy to read. The result is a pop-up window displaying the simplified version of your selected text, helping you immediately grasp complex topics without extra searching or context-switching.
For example, medical terms like “emphysema” or “fibrosis” are broken down into plain English, making them accessible to a wider audience.
Benefits and Use Cases
Simplify is more than just a convenience-it’s a powerful accessibility tool. Here’s why it stands out:
- Accessibility for All: It helps people with learning disabilities, non-native speakers, and anyone who struggles with technical jargon to better understand online information.
- Comprehension and Retention: Google’s internal studies show that users who read simplified text have improved understanding and memory of the material compared to those reading the original dense content.
- No Disruption to Browsing: Since the feature works within the Google app, there’s no need to copy text into another tool or search for definitions elsewhere. Everything happens instantly, right where you are.
- Versatility: From students and professionals to casual readers, anyone can benefit from clearer explanations of complex web content.
The Technology
At the core of Simplify is Gemini, Google’s latest and most capable large language model (LLM). Gemini is designed for multimodal reasoning, capable of understanding and generating text, images, audio, and more. For Simplify, Gemini’s text processing abilities are leveraged in a unique way:
- Minimally-Lossy Simplification: The AI rewrites text to enhance clarity while meticulously preserving the original meaning, detail, and nuance. This is different from summarization, which may omit details, or explanation tools, which might add new content.
- Automated Evaluation Loop: The system uses an iterative prompt refinement process, where one AI model evaluates the output of another for readability and fidelity, ensuring that the simplified text remains true to the source.
- On-Device Efficiency: Gemini is optimized to run efficiently on mobile devices, making real-time simplification possible for iOS users.
Simplify: The Future of Accessible Information
While Simplify is currently available only on iOS, its debut signals a broader trend in AI-driven accessibility. By harnessing the power of Gemini, Google is taking meaningful steps toward making the world’s information universally accessible and useful.
As AI models continue to evolve, expect features like Simplify to become even more accurate, nuanced, and widely available-potentially transforming how we all interact with complex information online.
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