Gemini Live & new voices rolling out on Pixel, Samsung 

As announced during Made by Google 2024, Gemini Live is rolling out and we’re seeing wider availability on Pixel and other Android phones today.

The Gemini Live icon is a waveform badged with a sparkle that appears in the bottom-right corner of the Gemini overlay and fullscreen app. 

Hi, I’m Gemini. We’re about to go live where you can explore complex topics or ideas just by talking. 

An introductory prompt explains how you can “Hold” or “End” the conversation with the big buttons at the bottom, or say “stop.” Right out of the gate, Google says Gemini Extensions aren’t available in Live yet, but they are coming later to let you control your phone and access other apps (Gmail, YouTube, etc.) via voice.

The fullscreen Gemini Live UI is quite clean, but you can exit the app to go about using your phone or lock/turn off the screen to keep talking. In that case, you get a “Live with Gemini” notification that notes how the “mic is on” with an “End Live mode” button.

After you end a conversation, a text transcript showing your prompts and Gemini’s responses will appear. It appears in the “Recent” history list like every other text chat. You can restart a conversation by tapping the Live button in the corner.

In Gemini Settings, you have a new toggle for “Interrupt Live responses” — an aspect Google is particularly proud of to let users interject — and “Gemini’s voice” to pick from 10 options that are fittingly named after constellations. This new voice is available outside of Live as well.

So far, we’re seeing Gemini Live on Pixel and Samsung devices, with the wide rollout to Android underway. It requires a Gemini Advanced subscription and works with English globally.