TL;DR
- Google is developing Aluminium OS to merge Chrome OS and Android into a unified desktop platform.
- New code reveals that Gemini will be accessible via a status bar icon and a specific keyboard shortcut.
- Leaked animations show a “breathing” Gemini icon and a dedicated setup process for it on laptops.
Google’s vision for Chrome OS is to eventually replace it with Aluminium OS, an OS that merges Chrome OS and Android into a computer-focused platform. While that vision is still some years away, Google has been spotted building up Aluminium OS to fulfill its destiny. We’ve had an early look at Aluminium OS and seen its Pixel-like camera app. Now we have more information about the Gemini integration in Aluminium OS, thanks to an update to the Google app.
One curious observation on the previously leaked Aluminium OS look was the Gemini icon in the status bar. It’s easy to guess that the icon would be related to Gemini, but your guess would be as good as ours as to what it could actually do. With the latest Google app v17.5.41 beta, we have a better idea of what it could do, thanks to these new strings:
Code
Ask Gemini to help with writing, planning, brainstorming, and more
Turn on by selecting the Gemini icon from the top right corner of your screen or press [GoogleKeyIcon] + Space As the strings suggest, Gemini on Aluminium OS can be used for writing, planning, brainstorming, and more. What’s interesting is that Gemini can be quickly accessed via a keyboard shortcut using the “Google Key Icon,” which is already present on many Chromebooks.
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Additionally, here’s a second look at the Gemini icon in the Aluminium OS status bar, now showing off its “breathing” animation:
We’ve also spotted a new animation that users will see when setting up Gemini on a PC:
There are still plenty of unknowns about Aluminium OS, but it’s good to see that Google is shaping it with Gemini as a cornerstone of the experience. While it doesn’t look like a ground-up reimagination of a desktop OS centered on AI, it certainly appears intent on integrating AI (more specifically, Gemini) into the core of the experience from the few glimpses we’ve had so far. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.
⚠️ An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
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