Google just rolled out some interesting updates for Gemini on Android phones. You will now be able to call Gemini on top of any app to interact with it, just like Google Assistant. Alongside this overlay feature, Google is also adding Gemini Live to the Android app.
Gemini,formerly called Bard, is Google’s generative AI model. When it first launched for Android earlier this year, many suspected that it’d evolve to replace the standard Google Assistant. Today, Google rolled out updates for theGemini Android appto bring it a step closer to that position.
Gemini can now overlay any app on your phone and give you information about whatever’s on the screen. You can chat about an image, video, or text. Alternatively, you can generate AI images within the Gemini overlay and seamlessly export them to other Google apps like Gmail. Android devices with novel form factors like theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 6can summon Gemini from the external display too.
The update also introduces Gemini Live to the Android app. It’s a premium feature that lets you speak with theAI chatbotin a more real-time conversation. It has the same capabilities as the text-based Gemini chat, so Gemini Live can hold long, complex conversations. “We’ve completely rebuilt the assistant experience with Gemini, so you can speak to it naturally the way you would with another person. It can understand your intent, follow your train of thought and complete complex tasks,” the press release reads.
Until now, Gemini wasn’t as deeply integrated into the Android system, so you couldn’t do much with it. The overlay and live chat features make the app more useful for everyday use. Google has plans to overhaul the entire Android operating system with AI, so we can expect to see even more assistant-like capabilities in Gemini. “With Gemini deeply integrated into Android, we’re rebuilding the operating system with AI at the core, and redefining what phones can do,” Google explained.
