Gemini Gets a New Bright Floating Panel on Android
Google is starting to roll out the update that introduces a new design for Gemini on Android , featuring a floating panel with an attractive light animation, as well as new features that were previously missing in our country. This change is now widely available according to many testimonies in these hours and is included in the latest version of the stable Google app, probably activated remotely.
The new design, first announced at I/O 2024 in May, introduces a contextual panel that overlays the current interface instead of opening a full-screen view . When Gemini is activated, users will notice a new light animation around the panel, signaling the presence of the new overlay interface.
As previously mentioned, this change is not just aesthetic but also offers functional benefits. The new panel preserves the context of what the user is doing and is less invasive. It also integrates seamlessly with Gemini’s image generation feature, allowing users to drag generated images into apps like Gmail or Google Messages. For those who prefer the full-screen interface, it can be accessed by tapping the top-right corner of the floating panel.
With this update, users will also notice a new highlight “Ask about this video” when they activate Gemini while watching a video on YouTube, which we finally find in Italy. This feature allows you to ask Gemini to summarize the video or ask follow-up questions .
At the moment, the availability of the new Gemini floating panel with the light effect is still limited, but we have already used it on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 , while from overseas it has been spotted on Pixel 8 Pro devices , and there have also been scattered reports of its availability.
On Tuesday, Google announced that the new interface will be available in the coming weeks on Android, both for standard Gemini users and Gemini Advanced subscribers , which is actually happening now.
This is a significant step in the evolution of the Gemini user interface, aiming to make the interaction with the AI assistant more fluid and contextual. It remains to be seen how users will embrace this new interface and how it will affect the day-to-day use of Gemini on Android devices, but in our opinion the usability of the service could improve significantly.