I’m using ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini to find new Android apps

I still find incorporating AI into my daily work is slightly awkward, even if it has some proven use cases that make it helpful. To put this to the test, I decided to use AI to fix an underlying issue I have in the Google Play Store: I used Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT to help me discover new apps. That way, I can shave off the time I spend browsing Reddit and X for new Android apps to try on my trusty Samsung.

I experimented using Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT. I was curious about which of the three would offer me more variety in choices and whether these chatbots would acknowledge specific requests like “free apps only.” Here are the results I found.

Experiment 1: Finding new weather update apps

Prompt used:

Hi [AI]! I'd like to find a new Android app that can tell me the weekly and daily weather forecast. Please give me free apps only.

ChatGPT recommends:

• AccuWeather (100M+)
• The Weather Channel (100M+)
• Weather Underground (10M+)
• Windy (10M+)
• Google Weather (1+)
• 1Weather (100M+)

Copilot recommends:

• 1Weather (100M+)
• Flowx (500K+)
• The Weather Channel (100M+)
• AccuWeather (100M+)
• Awesome Weather – YoWindow (10M+)

Gemini recommends:

• AccuWeather (100M+)
• The Weather Channel (100M+)
• WeatherCAN (500K+)

Comparing the three models, ChatGPT came out on top quantitatively. ChatGPT gave me six recommendations, Copilot had five, and Gemini only gave three. Another note is that I did like that Gemini considered my location (even if it is slightly creepy) to provide a more relevant recommendation. Otherwise, the apps list from all three was fairly safe.

The bottom line

ChatGPT acknowledged which weather apps were free or free with ad-support. But it also gave a generic list of top weather apps, which I didn’t want. On the other hand, Copilot specified if these apps were free in the first two entries but then stopped. However, it did provide sourcing, so I could confirm context (unlike the other two chatbots). Gemini gave me one interesting recommendation tailored to my location (WeatherCAN). But it also didn’t specify any app pricing. Overall, the experience was fine. I still prefer Copilot’s selection due to 3/5 being new.

Experiment 2: Finding new note-taking apps

Prompt used:

Hi [AI], I am in need of a new note-taking app. I would prefer if it included a place to import PDF documents and had a handwriting mode. I would also like an option for online storage syncing.

ChatGPT recommends:

• Notability (not on Play Store)
• GoodNotes (1M+)
• Microsoft OneNote (500M+)
• Evernote (100M+)
• Zoho Notebook (5M+)
• Xodo (10M+)

Copilot recommends:

• GoodNotes (1M+)
• Notability (not on Play Store)
• Microsoft OneNote (500M+)
• Evernote (100M+)
• LiquidText (not on Play Store)

Gemini recommends:

• GoodNotes (1M+)
• Notability (not on Play Store)
• Microsoft OneNote (500M+)
• Nebo (500K+)
• Samsung Notes (1B+)

If we review my prompt, you’ll notice I made an error and forgot to specify the platform. As a result, I was worried that I would receive note-taking apps only on iOS.

However, given the responses, I realized that the chatbots were mostly forgiving of that omission. For example, Gemini recognized that I didn’t specify the platform but still broke recommendations down by platform.

Related

Gemini could soon answer all your app queries without leaving the Play Store

‘Ask Play about this app’ is in testing

The bottom line

I was impressed with Gemini’s response to my request. It gave me a good list of apps (minus Notability) and sorted it by platform. It also acknowledges PDF annotation and handwriting. Copilot listings were more generic and didn’t specify the platforms like Gemini did. Nor did it provide any sourcing (like it had done in the previous request).

ChatGPT came out on top; not only did it acknowledge all my specifications (sync options, handwriting, and PDF support), but it also listed them point-by-point and included the available platforms. Plus, I discovered apps I hadn’t even heard of (Zoho Notebook and Xodo). Overall, the experience was adequate, considering my initial prompt.

Experiment 3: Gaming recommendations

As a bonus, I tried getting gaming recommendations for mystery-based Visual Novels and puzzle games similar to Danganronpa. Unfortunately, the results were incredibly disappointing, so here’s a breakdown of what occurred.

Prompt used:

​​​​Hi [AI], I am looking for paid Visual Novel and puzzle game recommendations on the Play Store that match the style and themes of Danganronpa.

ChatGPT recommends:

• The Arcana: A Mystic Romance (1M+)
• Ace Attorney Trilogy Phoenix Wright (10K+)
• Dead Synchronicity: Tomorrow Comes Today (not on Play Store)
• The Nonary Games: 999 & Virtue’s Last Reward (not on Play Store)
• Doki Doki Literature Club! mobile port (not on Play Store)
• Choice of Games: Choice of Robots (10K+)
• Reigns: Her Majesty (100K+)
• The Silent Age (not on Play Store)
• Professor Layton and the Curious Village via emulator (not on Play Store)
• Shattered Planet (not on Play Store)

Copilot recommends:

• Zero Escape: The Nonary Games (not on Play Store)
• Ace Attorney Trilogy (10K+)
• The House in Fata Morgana (not on Play Store)
• Steins;Gate (10K+, requires Crunchyroll)
• Death Mark (not on Play Store)

Gemini recommends:

• Danganronpa Series mobile ports (1K-10K)
• Ace Attorney Series (10K+)
• 7Days!: Mystery Visual Novel (5M+)
• Argo’s Choice: Visual Novel (100K+)

I disliked most of these recommendations. ChatGPT provided an extensive list, but most were not in the Play Store. Copilot largely failed to recommend Play Store titles (only 2/5 were). Gemini wasted a recommendation on the actual title rather than a similar game similar, plus 2/4 were free-to-play titles, which isn’t what I wanted.

On the other hand, both ChatGPT and Copilot followed the instructions for showcasing paid titles. I also fully expected to see Tribe Nine in these listings, a new gacha title by the Danganronpa creators; it would fit the bill for themes, but it is a live service, which already means it’s a no-go based on the criteria I provided. It should omit Tribe Nine based on my specifications, and it did.

Context is key when conversing with AI

From these experiments, mastering your prompts is more important than asking the question. Otherwise, the AI will only suggest the most popular apps with a general breakdown of what they do, which isn’t helpful. If you have specific needs, you must include them in your prompts/follow-up prompts. I didn’t include a platform in my second attempt and received some recommendations that didn’t apply to me. In contrast, I used a specific example in my gaming experiment, leading to poor results. For generalized apps, it gave solid recommendations. The key is somewhere in between.

My only concern is how it handles new apps. The public chatbots run on older models, meaning they may miss out on recently published apps. The tool is far from perfect, so we try to sift through new apps as they come, like the Manga Mirai app that Matthew spotted earlier in March.