GoKawiilGoogle tests auto-minimizing Gemini overlay for hands-free multitasking
Android Authority discovered a hidden feature in Google app version 17.54.10 that lets the Gemini overlay automatically shrink into a floating button while it processes a request. This would let users keep using their phone instead of waiting with the overlay locked on screen. The feature isn't live yet and appears to still be in internal testing.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Currently Gemini's overlay blocks all other phone activity during processing, a friction point for an assistant meant to be quick and convenient. An auto-minimize option would bring Gemini closer to how users expect voice assistants to behave, freeing up the screen during wait times, though Google has shelved similar minimize features before without shipping them.
- Feature found hidden in Google app v17.54.10 by Android Authority.
- Overlay would auto-shrink into a floating button during processing.
- A similar minimize button was tested before but never released.
Google Pixel 9 — If you want Gemini's power-button overlay at its best, the Pixel 9 is the phone built around Google's AI assistant. It's the natural home for features like the minimizing Gemini overlay as they roll out, with deep Google app integration out of the box.
See Google Pixel 9 on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: androidauthority.com, 2026-09-01
Published there as: “Gemini could finally let you use your phone while it thinks about what to say”
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