This is what Gemini AI in Google Messages could look like
We know that the Gemini generative AI chatbot is coming to Google Messages very soon – Google told us last month – and we now have some newly published screenshots that give us a taste of what the feature will look like and function.
These screenshots are from code unearthed by the team at DeSpAndroid (through Android Authority), and we can see Gemini generating images, pulling details from Google Maps, and suggesting code snippets.
It also appears that the data is pulled from a connected Gmail account and a Google account is required to use the chatbot – without a Google account it won’t work. It appears that the AI bot is not configured to work in group chats either.
The report states that Gemini in Google Messages does not appear to be able to analyze images and respond to prompts about them, although Google said in a statement to Android Authority that this functionality is included.
Limited availability
There are no real surprises here, as Gemini appears to work in Google Messages just as it does on the web and in the Android app. However, it will be interesting to see how the technology is built into the default messaging app for Google’s mobile operating system.
It’s not clear when we’ll be able to test all of this ourselves, but based on this latest leak it shouldn’t take much longer. There is already an official support page for the feature that explains how to interact with the chatbot.
At least for starters, the feature will be limited to certain Android handsets: the Google Pixel 6 (or a later Pixel phone), the Google Pixel Fold, the Samsung Galaxy S22 (or a later Samsung Galaxy phone), or whichever Samsung Galaxy too. Z Flip or Galaxy Z Fold.
All this AI technology is developing at a rapid pace and we should hear more about Gemini at Google I/O 2024 on May 14. We can also expect plenty of AI talk from Apple at its own WWDC 2024 event, which should happen sometime in June.