New look for Gemini Live notifications on Android
Gemini Live, a popular feature for interactive conversations, has just updated its notification style on Android phones. Previously, when you started using Gemini Live and then left the app, you would see a regular notification labeled “Live with Gemini” that included instructions and a button to end the session. You could also spot a little sparkle icon in the status bar.
Now, Gemini Live has switched to a more noticeable phone call-like notification system. Instead of a person’s picture, you now see the Gemini Live symbol. There’s a big red “Hang Up” button and an option to “Hold.” This new setup means you can keep your conversation going without needing to jump back into the app.
At the top of your screen, near where the time is shown, there’s now a small box that acts like a call indicator, showing how long you’ve been in the conversation. However, if you put the conversation on hold, this timer keeps running, which might be a little confusing.
This updated notification doesn’t show up on smartwatches like the Pixel Watch, and it doesn’t act like a phone call on these devices either.
The new notification makes it clearer that Gemini Live is still working in the background, which is handy, especially since future updates might let you share your screen during talks.
So far, we’ve only seen this new style of notification on one phone, the Pixel 9 Pro, which was running a test version of the Google app (version 16.4). This change mirrors what we’ve seen with the iPhone’s Gemini app using Live Activities, making notifications more interactive and prominent.