Gemini has always allowed users to multitask. No, I’m not talking about the ability to take different actions all from within the app with the help of extensions, I’m talking about being able to use different functions of your phone or your desktop/laptop while Gemini processes your lengthy queries.
This stands true for the Gemini app on not just desktop and Android, but also iOS. However, it only stands true for the ‘app,’ and not the Gemini overlay itself.
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Google understands that this might be a limitation for some, and that’s precisely why it seems to be working on upgrades.
Currently, when you minimize or tap out of the Gemini overlay mid-conversation, and then initiate the overlay again, you’re forced to start a new chat from scratch. This prevents users from being able to go back and forth with the overlay, with that functionality solely resting with the full app experience.
That could, however, soon change, as hinted by the folks over at Android Authority after digging through version 16.51.52.sa.arm64 beta of the Google app for Android.
Pick up exactly where you left off
What you see in the short video above isn’t live just yet, but it does highlight exactly what Google is working on: giving users the option to minimize the Gemini overlay and pick back up where they left off the next time they trigger it.
This comes with a major UI change too. Currently, when you minimize the Gemini overlay, there’s no trace of the AI assistant. With what Google is cooking, minimizing the overlay will trigger a small Gemini Floating Action Button (FAB) to appear on your display. Tapping it lets you return to your overlay conversation.
This should be helpful in situations where you want to run context from an app into Gemini, gain insight, return to the app you were originally on, and do that continuously without losing your original prompts. For example, you could be looking at various cars on a dedicated app and simultaneously comparing their pros and cons within the Gemini overlay. The same is possible for travel options, hotels, and a lot more.
It’s worth noting that tapping out causes Gemini to go into FAB mode. Once you’re done with your conversation, swiping back will let you end the conversation and close Gemini.
As mentioned earlier, the quality of life feature isn’t live just yet, though judging by its appearance in beta, it shouldn’t be too far off from a wide public rollout.
