This cool new Android feature could be coming to your phone today

Google made a slew of announcements at its Made by Google event on 13 August, not only announcing new hardware like the Pixel 9 and Pixel Buds Pro 2, but some big changes on the AI side of things too. It's on the software side that Android owners could find themselves with a new feature today that will change the way their device behaves.

One of the big changes coming to devices is Gemini. Gemini has been lined up as a replacement for Google Assistant, with the new Pixel devices due to launch with Gemini instead of the older voice assistant. But new to the offering is Gemini Live, which takes the AI and boosts its performance for a much better experience.

Numerous reports have popped up online of people being able to access Gemini Live, including from 9to5Google, which tells us that Pixel and other Android devices are getting access to the new service. You'll have to be a subscriber to Gemini Advanced to get access, but if you're considering buying a new Pixel 9 Pro, you'll get 1 year of access to Gemini Advanced free.

Based on reports, it looks like Pixel and Samsung devices are having the most success accessing the new service.

What is Gemini Live?

Gemini Live is a new conversational experience that comes to Gemini, Google's AI. This will give much more realistic Gemini interactions, where you can have conversations, including being able to interrupt the response to get more information if there's a point you're interested in. From what Google says, it makes Gemini more like the experience that some will have had talking to ChatGPT.

The interface changes too, with a smooth waveform style, while there are 10 voices you can choose from so you can find something that fits with your liking.

There will be Gemini Extensions that allow Gemini to interact with other apps on your phone, such as Gmail, but this isn't available yet. At the moment it looks like these extensions are designed to hook Gemini into Google's other apps.

You also don't have to stay in the Gemini app when using it. You can access other areas of your device of lock it while keeping your conversation going.

Gemini Live will work in English, globally, but as I said, you'll have to have Gemini Advanced to take advantage of it. Google says that it will be rolling out to iOS and other languages in the coming weeks.