Here’s your first glimpse at Google Gemini's overlay upgrades

While the Google Gemini overlay currently lets you activate Gemini Live and access the plus menu, we’ve seen evidence of more features finding their way there. In June, we stumbled upon an Agent Dashboard button within the plus menu for immediate access to recent chats. Then, earlier this month, we learned that Google may also bring Gemini Spark to the overlay. We can now report some progress on both of these upcoming Gemini features, and more.

In version 17.62.9 of the Google app, we’ve activated a new selection tool in the Gemini overlay that lets you switch between a standard conversation (Chat) and a Spark-related action (Task).

Flipping the switch to Task changes the text box to “Describe a task,” while the Chat option reads “Ask Gemini.” This is a significant evolution from our initial discovery, which placed the Task option (called Assign) inside the Gemini overlay’s plus menu.

We’re also seeing a bell icon for immediate access to recent chats and an icon for Proactive Assistance on either side of the Chat/Task selector. Although tapping the Proactive Assistance key doesn’t do anything right now, the bell icon instantly pulls up your recent chats with Gemini.

Like the Spark toggle we previously spotted, this recent chats option was also hidden behind the plus menu early in development. But in this version, it appears front and center, and tapping it opens a bottom sheet showing some of your recent conversations with Gemini.

Additionally, we’ve activated a Browser page within Gemini settings. It contains radio buttons that let you choose between the following options:

• Chrome on my devices (Works when device is awake)
• Remote browser (Works while you’re away)

More specifically, these are controls to manage how Gemini Spark works in the background. As Google’s support page notes, Spark currently switches to the remote browser if the local browser is disconnected during a task. These upcoming options will let users choose rather than having the AI agent automatically switch to the remote browser.

While the updated overlay certainly looks more crowded than ever, it may just be the best way to use the available screen space without stuffing everything into the plus menu.

Although Google appears to be nearly done with some of these changes, we can’t say exactly when they will appear widely to all Gemini users — or if further changes might still be in store.