I test Gemini for a living — 5 prompts I wish I knew sooner – Tom’s Guide
2025-04-21T06:33:55Z
These five prompts made me stop underestimating Gemini
When Gemini first rolled out, it didn’t stick for me at first. I gave it a shot early on, but after a few messy hallucinations and forgettable answers, I found myself defaulting to ChatGPT or Claude whenever I needed real results.
With Google refining the model and rolling out new features, I figured it deserved a second look, especially if I pushed it with prompts that went beyond basic tasks.
That’s when it started to click. Gemini wasn’t just holding its own — it was unexpectedly flexible, helpful, and even a little impressive. It’s hands down one of most powerful AI models on the market right now.
Here are 7 game-changing Gemini prompts I wish I’d known sooner.
1. Get personalised book recomendations (Image: © Tom’s Guide) My bookshelves are full of half-read novels, old favorites, and impulse buys I still haven’t touched, but choosing what to read next can still feel weirdly overwhelming. So I asked Gemini: “Here’s a photo of my bookshelf — can you recommend 3 books I might enjoy based on what you see?” Instead of rattling off random titles, Gemini actually analyzed the authors I already liked and built suggestions from there. Because I had Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, it recommended Fight Club — same transgressive style, same dark, funny undertones.
It noticed Dearly by Margaret Atwood and suggested The Handmaid’s Tale as a natural next step, with its sharp, dystopian themes. And seeing Transcription by Kate Atkinson, it recommended Life After Life, another of her twisty, time-bending novels. It wasn’t just helpful — it felt personal, like having a friend who actually knows your taste. I wasn’t expecting to be surprised by a reading recommendation, but here we are.
2. Visualize a product (Image: © Tom’s Guide) Turning an idea into something visual usually requires design software, or at the very least, a lot of back-and-forth with a designer. So I tried this: “Generate a realistic product mockup for a reusable water bottle brand aimed at frequent flyers.” Gemini returned a clean, minimalist image that looked straight out of a startup pitch deck. The matte black finish, sleek silhouette, and compact form nailed the travel-friendly feel. The gold logo, simple, modern, and geometric, added just enough polish to make it look brand-ready. It was subtle but premium, and honestly, something I could imagine seeing in the real world. For anyone testing an idea or pitching to a team, this kind of fast visualization is a game-changer. It’s a way to move from “what if” to “here’s what it could look like” without spending hours in Photoshop or Canva.
3. Curate a playlist (Image: © Tom’s Guide) Hosting a dinner party where you don’t know everyone can be a little awkward, and music sets the tone. I wanted a playlist that was warm, low-key, and still interesting.
So I Gemini: “Make me a playlist for a dinner party where I don’t know anyone — warm, low-key, but still interesting.” It didn’t just toss out generic “chill” tracks. It curated a mix of relaxed but conversation-friendly music that felt thoughtful and varied, without being distracting. There were a few familiar tracks to ease people in, and a handful of slightly unexpected picks that became great icebreakers. For social situations where the vibe really matters, this prompt nailed it.
4. Rethinking interior design (with plants in mind) (Image: © Tom’s Guide) I wanted to refresh my space without buying anything new — just make it feel more put-together. So I asked Gemini: “Can you help me rearrange my houseplants so they look good in the room and also get the light they need?” Gemini didn’t just give me generic advice — it actually identified each plant from my photo: a Monstera, a Jade plant, and two types of Philodendron. Then it helped me arrange them based on both their light needs and their visual impact. For example, it placed the sun-loving Jade closest to the window, tucked the Monstera slightly to the side for softer light, and suggested pulling the lower-light Philodendrons back to avoid scorching. It even considered things like varying the plant heights, balancing leaf textures, and letting the pot colors play off one another. It was like getting both a plant stylist and a care guide in one — and the result made the space feel calmer, brighter, and far more put-together.
5. Plan a stress-free break (Image: © Tom’s Guide) I love the idea of spontaneous travel, but planning can easily get overwhelming. I didn’t want an overbooked itinerary — just a low-effort, fun escape.
So I tried: “Help me plan a low-stress city break where I don’t have to book anything in advance — except maybe the hotel.” It delivered exactly that. Using my location, Gemini built a flexible plan around London, with suggestions I could pick up or drop depending on how I felt that day. It offered ideas like scenic canal walks, markets to browse, museums with free entry, and green spaces for people-watching. It even included food spots where no booking is needed and transport tips for navigating the city with ease. Best of all, the structure works in any city — giving you room to explore, pause, and actually enjoy your time away without feeling over-scheduled.
6. Create an editorial portrait (Image: © Tom’s Guide ) To round things out, I wanted something stylised but rooted in realism — the kind of portrait you’d see in an editorial spread. This prompt tests Gemini’s ability to render human features accurately, while also managing layered visual elements like reflections, lighting, and movement in a busy urban setting.
I used: “Create a stylized image of a person on a crowded beach at sunset, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, with the reflection of the ocean in the lenses, mid-shot, warm cinematic lighting.” There’s absolutely no doubt that Gemini smashed this one. The portrait was high-resolution, perfectly lit and packed with detail. From the skin texture to the reflection in the sunglasses, every element was spot on. I scrutinized the image, looking for something — anything — off, and came up empty. The realism was exceptional, easily on par with what you’d expect from Midjourney.
7. Explore a world that doesn’t exist (Image: © Tom’s Guide) Sometimes the most useful prompts aren’t strictly practical, they’re imaginative. I wanted to see how far Gemini could go when asked to invent something completely from scratch. So I tried this: “You are an AI travel guide for a newly discovered exoplanet with diverse ecosystems. Describe three unique locations on this planet, highlighting their flora, fauna, and potential challenges for human visitors.” What came back felt like a brochure for a sci-fi nature documentary. Gemini introduced me to Xylos, a richly imagined alien planet with towering crystal forests, underwater kelp jungles that sing, and vast fossilised plains crawling with wind-powered reptiles. Each location came with detailed plant and animal life, environmental hazards, and specific travel warnings for human explorers. It even warned about airborne crystal dust and crab-like predators in the deep sea. This kind of prompt is ideal for world-builders, writers, game designers, or anyone who wants to stretch AI beyond everyday tasks.
Now that you’ve learned 5 Gemini prompts I wish I knew sooner, why not take a look at some of our other AI articles?
Check out I tested ChatGPT-4o vs Gemini Advanced with 5 AI image prompts — and the results surprised me and 11 prompting tips to get better results. And you can even replace Alexa with ChatGPT on your Amazon Echo.
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