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 Gemini has proven to be quite versatile and adept at tasks ranging from answering complex queries to assisting with coding. Its capabilities are further amplified through the use of Extensions – recently rebranded as Apps – which allow Gemini to interact directly with other applications and services to accomplish real-world tasks. Now, it appears this powerful ability is on its way to Google’s more conversational Gemini Live.
Recent findings from an APK teardown of the Google app beta (version 16.17.38.sa.arm64) reported by Android Authority reveal early references to Gemini Apps support within Gemini Live. This suggests that Google is actively working to integrate the ability for Gemini Live to leverage the capabilities of various apps.
For those unfamiliar, Gemini Live offers a more natural, conversational way to interact with Google’s AI. Currently, users can engage in spoken dialogue, share their camera feed, or cast their screen to receive real-time assistance. The integration of Gemini Apps would significantly expand the potential use cases for this feature. Imagine being able to point your phone’s camera at a smart home device and ask Gemini Live to control it through the corresponding app, or sharing your screen and having Gemini Live assist you in navigating a specific application.
The initial roll-out of Gemini Apps for the standard Gemini interface occurred in phases, with support for different apps being introduced over time. The APK teardown includes a mention of “phase one,” indicating that Google is likely to adopt a similar staged approach for Gemini Live. While the specific apps that will be supported in the initial phase are still unknown, I’m sure future APK teardowns will reveal what’s on the roadmap.
As always, it’s important to remember that features uncovered in APK teardowns are not guaranteed to make it to a public release. However, the presence of these references in the beta build offers a strong indication that Google is actively pursuing this integration. Given that previous discoveries in similar teardowns have made it into public updates, I’d wager we’ll be seeing Gemini Apps support for Gemini Live soon.
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.
