Google Unveils FunctionGemma: Lightweight Model for On-Device Function Calling

December 18, 2025

Details

  • Google has launched FunctionGemma, a specialized 270M-parameter model tailored for function calling and agentic workflows, released on December 18, 2025.
  • The model addresses developer demand by enabling AI systems to natively execute API actions and control software, moving beyond standard text generation.
  • FunctionGemma can function as a standalone local agent for immediate task execution or serve as a traffic controller, routing complex requests to larger models while ensuring edge privacy.
  • Fine-tuning has improved its accuracy on Google’s Mobile Actions dataset from 58% to 85%, demonstrating reliable performance for edge deployment.
  • Its compact design allows it to run smoothly on mobile phones and devices like NVIDIA Jetson Nano, using just 550MB RAM; Google also released fine-tuning guides, pre-trained weights, and interactive demos.

Impact

FunctionGemma marks a pivotal shift toward more practical, agentic AI capable of running directly on consumer devices. This move strengthens Google’s open-source approach, making advanced edge AI accessible for developers and organizations. As interest in privacy-focused, efficient AI grows, expect Google to shape new trends in local automation and specialized AI agents.

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