New AI Features for Google Pixel 9: Gemini live and more
Today, Google made a big announcement at the Galaxy S25 launch, focusing on the new AI features coming to Pixel 9 phones.
If you have a Pixel 9, or are thinking about getting one, you’ll be excited to know about the fresh updates. The Google Store now has a banner that says, “New Gemini Live and Circle to Search features for Pixel 9.”
The star of the show is Gemini Live, which lets you talk about the photos, files, and videos on your phone. Here’s how it works:
- Images: You can add a photo to your chat with Gemini Live, and it will give you info or advice about it, or even help fix issues on the spot.
- Files: Share a document, and Gemini Live can talk through it with you.
- Videos: Discuss YouTube videos, getting explanations and insights in real time.
The updated Gemini interface lets you snap a new photo or pick one from your gallery. You can also ask questions about what’s on your screen, like PDFs or videos. After you upload something, you see a “Talk Live about this” button, which leads you straight into a conversation with Gemini Live, with your content highlighted in a cool blue/purple color.
These features are starting to roll out today for the Pixel 9 series, along with the Galaxy S24 and S25. They’ll come to older Pixel models like the Pixel 6 soon.
Google also teased Project Astra, which will add screen sharing and live video streaming to Gemini in the coming months. Plus, they’re rolling out Deep Research for Gemini Advanced users on mobile, following its web debut last month.
Right now, you can use Gemini to handle multiple tasks at once, like asking for lunch recipes and saving them to Google Keep, or sharing activity ideas with friends via Google Messages.
Beyond Gemini, there’s Circle to Search, which gives you quick AI insights on whatever you circle on your screen, whether it’s a place, an image, or a URL. This feature also makes it easy to call, email, or browse with just one tap. The new design for Circle to Search looks clean, with all options in a handy pill-shaped box, though it’s not fully available yet.