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Google is testing a cleaner Gemini overlay at the cost of some of its best features
- Google is experimenting with moving contextual actions like “Ask about place” and “Ask about PDF” into the Plus menu in the Gemini overlay.
- Google could also move the “Share conversation” button to the top-right corner of the main conversation UI for easier access.
In the latest Google app v17.4.66 release, we’ve spotted a bunch of new Gemini features under development. There are more clues about Gemini’s agentic abilities for Android phones, a new Map area button in the attachment sheet, and a new “Characters” feature. That’s not all, though, as we’ve also spotted code for a couple of UI tweaks, which we’ve managed to activate to give you an early look.
Currently, when you trigger Gemini on top of specific apps, Google shows one-tap contextual actions in the Gemini overlay. These contextual actions include “Ask about place” with Google Maps, “Ask about PDF” with Google Drive and Files, and “Ask about page” with Google Chrome.
Additionally, the Gemini overlay includes the “Share screen with Live” action button on top of most apps. This button starts screen sharing with Gemini, saving users from having to navigate to the Gemini Live UI first and then tap the screen-sharing button.
Google is experimenting with hiding all of these buttons in the menu accessed by tapping on the Plus button on the Gemini overlay.
Why? We don’t know for sure. Burying the buttons in the Plus menu will add extra friction, and most users will likely never realize that these contextual actions exist too (especially as they change across apps). There’s a chance that Google has bigger plans for the Gemini overlay, in which case, requiring more steps to access these contextual actions might seem like a fair tradeoff.
Google is also experimenting with including the “Screen content” option in the Plus menu. This is functionally the same as the “Ask about screen” functionality we currently see when triggering the Gemini overlay.
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Moving on, Gemini could move the “Share conversation” option from the dropdown window accessed within the Gemini chat (next to the chat title) to the top-right corner of the main conversation UI.
None of these UI changes is currently live in Gemini. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.
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