With the next evolution of Gemini, you could use the AI while surfing the web
Gemini may get a major update on mobile in the near future, gaining several new features including a text box overlay. Details about the upgrade come from industry insider AssembleDebug, who shared its findings with a number of publications.
PiunikaWeb I got some insight into the overlay and it’s quite fascinating to see it in action. It turns the AI’s input box into a small floating window at the bottom of a smartphone screen, which stays there even if you close the app. For example, you can talk to Gemini while surfing the Internet or checking your email.
AssembleDebug was able to activate the window and get it working on his phone while on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter). Its demo video shows that it behaves exactly the same as the Gemini app. You ask the AI a question and after a few seconds it comes up with an answer, complete with source links, images and YouTube videos if the research calls for it. Answers can obscure the app behind it.
AssembleDebug’s video shows that the length depends on whether the question requires a long answer. We should mention that the overlay is multimodal, allowing you to write out a request, verbally command the AI, or upload an image.
Smarter AI
The other notable changes have been shared with Android Authority. First, Gemini on Android will have the ability to do this accept different types of files next to photos. Images show a tester uploading a PDF and then asking the AI to summarize the text within it. Apparently the feature is present in the current version of Gemini, but activating it does nothing. Android Authority speculates that the update may be exclusive to Google Workspace or Gemini Advanced; maybe both. It’s hard to say at this point.
Secondly, it is quite a simple tool, yet called useful Select text. The way Gemini works now is that it forces you to copy an entire block of text, even if you only want a small portion. Selecting text solves this problem by allowing you to grab a specific line or paragraph.
Yeah, it’s not a flashy upgrade. Almost every app in the world has the same capabilities. Still, the tool has “huge implications for the usability of Gemini.” It greatly improves the ease of use of the AI because it is not so restrictive.
#Google✨ The Gemini Android app finally doesn’t force you to copy an entire prompt answer🔥 Read on AndroidAuthority – https://t.co/M1EFGwfbNJ#Google #Gemini #AI pic.twitter.com/BFkKCbKylRApril 23, 2024
A fourth, smaller update was found by AssembleDebug. It is known as real-time responses. The descriptor text found next to it claims that the tool allows you to write out answers in real time. However, if PiunikaWeb points out, it’s just an animation change. There are no ‘practical benefits’. Instead of waiting for Gemini to generate an answer as one solid mass, you can choose to watch the AI write everything line by line, similar to its desktop counterpart.
Google I/O 2024 kicks off in about three weeks on May 14. There’s no word yet on when these features will roll out, but we’ll learn a lot more during the event.
While you wait, check out Ny Breaking’s round-up of the best Android smartphones for 2024 if you’re looking to upgrade.