Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is prepping a new compact Gemini Live overlay that will let you start a conversation without opening the full-screen interface.
- The overlay will give you access to all four shortcuts available on the full-screen interface and even feature a similar background animation.
- We spotted the new Gemini Live overlay in the latest Google app beta release, and it could reach users with a subsequent update.
After giving the Gemini overlay a much-needed design refresh late last year, Google is now prepping a similar compact overlay for Gemini Live. We’ve spotted it in the latest Google app beta update and enabled it before the official rollout to give you an early look.
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Starting a Gemini Live conversation from the Gemini overlay currently opens the full-screen Gemini Live experience. While you can minimize the interface to a persistent notification and use shortcuts in the notification to pause or end the conversation, there’s currently no way to start a conversation without opening the full-screen interface. Google could change that soon with a new compact overlay for Gemini Live.
We’ve spotted this upcoming overlay in the latest Google app beta release and enabled it manually before the official rollout. As you can see in the attached screenshots, it resembles the current Gemini overlay and gives you access to all four shortcuts available in the full-screen Gemini Live interface. It also shows a similar background animation during an ongoing conversation and offers shortcuts to end or resume the conversation when Gemini is on hold.
Thanks to this overlay, you’ll soon be able to start a Gemini Live conversation from the Gemini overlay without opening the full-screen interface. The overlay even lets you use the screen sharing option without going full screen, but the video mode still opens the full-screen interface. Although it’s not live for end users in the current beta release, you can see the new Gemini Live overlay in action in the attached video. The clip also shows how the overlay will minimize to a Gemini button, which you can tap to bring it back up.
Given that the new overlay appears fully functional in its current state, we expect Google to roll it out soon. We’ll update this post as soon as it’s available widely.
