Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Google’s latest AI breakthrough is Gemini Live, and it is rolling out today on Pixel and other Android phones. Announced at Made by Google 2024 earlier this week, this feature lets you have free-flowing conversations with Gemini, making it even easier to explore complex topics, brainstorm ideas, or just shoot the breeze.
You’ll know Gemini Live is ready when you see the waveform icon with a sparkle in the bottom-right corner of the Gemini overlay or fullscreen app. Tap it and Gemini will introduce itself, letting you know you’re about to “go live.”
How it works
The Gemini Live interface is simple and user-friendly. Big buttons at the bottom let you “Hold” or “End” the conversation, and you can always say “stop” to pause things. While Gemini Extensions aren’t available in Live mode just yet, Google promises they’re coming soon, which means you’ll eventually be able to control your phone and access other apps like Gmail and YouTube using your voice.
One of the coolest things about Gemini Live is that you can exit the app and continue using your phone, or even lock/turn off the screen, all while keeping the conversation going. You’ll get a notification that the “mic is on” and a button to “End Live mode” if you need it. It really adds to the overall conversational feel of Gemini Live.
In the Gemini settings, you can toggle the option to “Interrupt Live responses,” a feature Google is particularly proud of. There are also 10 new Gemini’s voices to choose from, all with fun star and space-themed names like Nova, Ursa, and Vega. These new voices are available outside of Live mode too and sound wildly life-like.
Availability
I can confirm Gemini Live is rolling out now to Pixel and Samsung devices, and wider availability on Android is supposedly coming soon. You’ll need a Gemini Advanced subscription, and the feature currently works with English globally, but if you fit that description, you can try out Gemini Live right now. So far, I’m pretty impressed by it.
It really is an exciting step forward for conversational AI, making it more natural and intuitive to interact with Google’s powerful AI models. When Gemini Extensions start hitting Gemini Live, we might be looking at the assistant we all wanted the original Google Assistant to be.
SUBSCRIBE TO UPSTREAM
Get Chrome Unboxed delivered straight to your inbox
Upstream is our flagship, curated newsletter with the top stories, most click-worthy deals, giveaways, and trending articles from Chrome Unboxed sent directly to your inbox a few times a week. Join 31,000+ subscribers.
