Besides a more enhanced conversation, Gemini Live is designed to be more agentive, which means the AI can actually do things for you, like build a playlist or draft an email. Users can interrupt the AI, pause a conversation to resume later, or look up the transcript from their chat.
Gemini Live began rolling out in English to Android devices on Aug. 13, and it requires a subscription to Gemini Advanced, which is part of the $20 monthly Google AI Premium option. Some features, particularly those powered by extensions, won’t roll out until a later date. iOS users will also have to wait for the feature, expected to migrate to Apple’s mobile devices in “the coming weeks.”
But, as a dramatic revolution from other assistants like Hey Google or Alexa, many will update the app or open that new Pixel 9 device or even the Pixel Buds Pro 2 without fully understanding what the AI is capable of. Here are ten things you can try with Gemini Live.
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1Choose from different voices
Pick your favorite style for Gemini’s voice
Gemini Live is designed to sound more human-like, and that comes with the ability to choose from 10 different voices. Voices are named and described in the app, such as a “calm, mid-range voice.” Users are prompted to choose at the start, but Gemini’s voice can always be changed later in settings.
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2Ask questions about what’s on your screen or a photo (Coming soon)
Gemini Live is a multimodal AI
One of the key differences between Gemini Live and previous digital assistants is its ability to understand context. That includes what’s on your screen. That means you can start a conversation about the YouTube video that you’re watching, for example, or the webpage you are reading. During the live demo at the Made By Google event, Live was also demoed asking questions about using a photo.
Using more than one form of input, like both voice and an image, is referred to as multimodal, another part of Live that isn’t quite ready at launch but is coming soon.
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3Interact with other apps like Gmail, calendar, and music (Coming soon)
Using extensions, Gemini Live can take actions inside other apps too
Another aspect that puts Gemini Live ahead of earlier assistants is its ability to interact with other apps, like summarizing a Gmail conversation, checking your calendar, or creating a playlist. You can also ask Gemini Live to start drafting an email for you, so you can then make changes in the email app before sending it out. This works with Live as well as typing the command into the Gemini app. These features are powered by extensions including Keep, Tasks, and Utilities – they are not available right at launch, but Google says these extensions and the skills that come with them are coming soon.
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4Talk through ideas and brainstorm
The back-and-forth design allows for generating more ideas
The conversational back-and-forth of Gemini Live opens up more options for brainstorming. Rather than typing it out with the Gemini app, Live allows you to ask for ideas, then continue to chat to find or refine those thoughts. Google’s examples for this capability included planning science activities with kids and asking for gift ideas.
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5Prepare for a job interview
Gemini Live can ask you sample interview questions
Gemini’s new conversational capabilities makes the assistant a better tool for preparing for a job interview. While you could theoretically have asked and typed out answers with Gemini previously, Live allows you to interact with the AI in a conversational style more reminicent of the real thing.
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6Ask for advice or tips
Like with a Gemini chat, advice is a big part of the AI capabilities.
Like the original chatbot, Gemini Live allows you to ask for advice, tips, or suggestions. In the teaser videos, Google demonstrated this by asking for tips to help write a wedding toast that’s funny, but not too embarrassing. Gemini Live’s conversational nature could potentially allow for more back and forth to refine or clarify the tips the AI gives out.
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7Plan an event
Gemini can help with multiple aspects of event planning
Several of Google’s demonstrations centered around planning an event, from a dinner party to having your nieces and nephews over for the weekend. Once the extensions launch, you’ll not only be able to ask for ideas, but have Gemini Live check your calendar, look for a recipe in your email, plan activities, or draft an invitation text.
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8Use Live on Pixel Buds Pro 2
Google’s new earbuds make Gemini Live hands-free
Google is calling the Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds the first earbuds of the Gemini era. The buds allow for hands-free conversations with Live. With the feature, you can get walking directions in your ear or ask to create a new playlist as you are working out. Tapping and holding the bud, then saying, “let’s talk live” activates Gemini Live. Sure, you’ll probably look like you’re talking to yourself, but it is a hands-free way to interact with the more conversational AI.
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9Interrupt or pause a conversation for later
It’s not rude when you’re talking to a computer
If you started a Hey Google conversation, you couldn’t go back to that conversation without reintroducing the topic. With Gemini Live, you can pause a conversation and pick it back up again later. You can also interrupt Gemini as it speaks, if you need to clarify something or the AI is on the wrong track.
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10Save your live transcripts
No need to take notes
You don’t need to take notes as Gemini Live gives you advice or looks up information with you. Gemini Live saves the full conversation transcripts to your phone, making it easy to refer back to what the AI said out loud.
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