Google’s Gemini App Doubles Its User Base in SEA, Driven by Gen Zs & Leading Language Capabilities

Google today announced that active users of the Gemini app in Southeast Asia have more than doubled over the past year. According to its first-ever Gemini Report: Southeast Asia 2026, the region is adopting Gemini faster than any other Google application. In Malaysia alone, Gemini users have doubled in just a few months, making it one of the fastest-growing markets in the region.

Here’s what Gemini Report: Southeast Asia 2026 entails

The report analyses user trends across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam to uncover new insights into how people across the region are adopting Gemini to work, create, and navigate their daily lives. This builds on the 900 million monthly active users of the app globally, with this rapid growth driven by Southeast Asia’s young, tech-savvy population – with nearly 40% under 25 years old and Gemini’s strong performance in local languages.

“We are so proud to see that Gemini has become the AI of choice for many users across Southeast Asia. What makes this region so remarkable is how naturally it has been woven into daily life. People aren’t just adapting to Gemini, they are using it on their own terms – in modalities they prefer, in languages they speak, and in contexts unique to their lives. The insights in the report demonstrates that AI is no longer a tool for tomorrow, but an indispensable companion that is already shaping how we work, study, and live today,” said Sapna Chadha, Vice President for Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier, Google.

The report dives deeper into how people across the region are adopting Gemini. Here are some of the key findings:

• Youths are the power users: Younger digital natives are leading Gemini app adoption in Southeast Asia. They make more requests, engage in longer conversations with Gemini and write significantly more detailed prompts than other age groups.
• A pro in local languages: Gemini’s success in the region comes down to local fluency. Nearly 70% of prompts in the region are submitted in native languages, led by Vietnam (89%), Thailand (87%), and Indonesia (84%). According to the Southeast Asia Holistic Evaluation of Language Models (SEA-HELM) by leading AI think-tank, AI Singapore, Gemini is the overall best-performing large language model (LLM) for Southeast Asian languages.
  “AI adoption happens when technology feels native, not translated. In a region as linguistically rich as Southeast Asia, models must understand local context deeply to be used effectively. Gemini’s strong standing on our SEA-HELM evaluation framework demonstrates its ability to navigate the complex linguistic realities of the region. These results underscore why rigorous evaluation and continued development of multilingual AI remain important for advancing AI adoption across Southeast Asia,” said Dr Leslie Teo, Senior Director of AI Products, AI Singapore.
• Multi-modal and on-the-go: Almost 3 in 4 Gemini requests across the region come from mobile devices. And because people can interact comfortably in their native languages, they are bypassing keyboards – relying on voice commands, photos and video uploads for more than 40% of their prompts, and voice only for over 10%. Using features like Gemini Live, they are able to navigate the world in real-time, such as translating street signs, troubleshooting home repairs, or analysing documents on-the-go.
• A creative collaborator: About 40% of queries ask Gemini to generate entirely new outputs, like images, music, videos, and writing documents. People across Southeast Asia have generated 5 billion images with Nano Banana, Google’s image generation model, over the past year. They have also generated almost 1 million songs since the introduction of Lyria 3, Gemini’s music generation model, in Southeast Asia.
• Research and thought partner: People frequently rely on Gemini as a research assistant to summarize dense documents and structure messy data. They also use it as a thought partner for advice, opinions, and recommendations – like birthday gift ideas, travel destinations, and step-by-step troubleshooting.

Malaysia leads Southeast Asia in AI image creation with Gemini

Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing markets, with Gemini users doubling in just a few months. As Gemini becomes part of everyday life, Malaysians are embracing it in uniquely creative and multilingual ways, using AI to express ideas visually while seamlessly switching between English and Malay.

Here is how Malaysians are using it:

• Create visually: 1 in 5 Malaysians have asked Gemini to generate images, representing the highest proportion in Southeast Asia. Since the launch of Nano Banana image generation in August 2025, visual creation has become one of the country’s most popular AI use cases.
• Think bilingually: While English remains the preferred language for professional and productivity tasks, requests in Malay more than doubled in early 2026 compared to a year earlier. Malaysians naturally switch between English for work and Malay for creative expression, demonstrating how Gemini fits seamlessly into the country’s multilingual culture.

Unlocking the future of Gemini

Google is committed to making Gemini the most helpful AI assistant for Southeast Asia’s 600 million people. The next step is bringing the power of AI agents safely and securely to consumers. This includes Gemini Spark, which transforms Gemini from an assistant that answers questions into an active partner that completes real work on your behalf.

Spark is a 24/7 personal AI agent designed to proactively manage tasks and help users navigate their digital lives. Deeply integrated with Workspace tools like Gmail, Docs, and Slides, this cloud-based agent works in the background – even when a laptop is closed or a phone is locked.

Gemini Spark is currently available in English to Google AI Ultra subscribers. It will also roll out in all local languages in Southeast Asia to Ultra subscribers starting this week.

This rollout builds on a rapidly expanding suite of Gemini features designed for everyday utility:

• Visual creativity and learning: Tools like Nano Banana, Omni, and Canvas help users generate images and dive deeper into complex topics.

• Personalised AI: Custom Gems allow users to tailor Gemini for specific personal and professional goals.

Access the full report The Gemini Report, Southeast Asia 2026 here.

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