Gemini overlay gets multitasking upgrade with floating button to handle tasks in the background

Gemini will let you keep working in other apps as it processes your request

You can even navigate away while Gemini's working on its results and be told when they're ready. 2025 is the year many of us got comfortable using Gemini, and even as Google pushes back its timetable for moving everyone off of Assistant, those of us who have already made the transition know just how great Gemini's been on mobile devices (while Home is a whole different story). We've got a ton of different ways to access it on our phones, from the Gemini app, to AI Mode in Search, but the easiest and most convenient has got to be calling up the Gemini overlay. For as much as we like having Gemini on demand like that, it looks like Google's working on a change that could make this experience even better.

Google is fixing the Gemini overlay's biggest annoyance

Karandeep Singh Oberoi is a Durham College Journalism and Mass Media graduate who joined the Android Police team in April 2024, after serving as a full-time News Writer at Canadian publication MobileSyrup. Prior to joining Android Police, Oberoi worked on feature stories, reviews, evergreen articles, and focused on 'how-to' resources. Additionally, he informed readers about the latest deals and discounts with quick hit pieces and buyer's guides for all occasions. Oberoi lives in Toronto, Canada. When not working on a new story, he likes to hit the gym, play soccer (although he keeps calling it football for some reason🤔) and try out new restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area. 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. Related Google Gemini: Everything you need to know about Google's next-gen multimodal AI Google Gemini is here, with a whole new approach to multimodal AI Posts By Steven Winkelman 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. Subscribe to our newsletter for Gemini overlay insights Want practical how-tos and deeper takes? Subscribe to the newsletter for focused coverage on Gemini and AI interface updates, hands-on tips, and clear analysis to help you get more value from new features. Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for Gemini overlay insights Want practical how-tos and deeper takes? Subscribe to the newsletter for focused coverage on Gemini and AI interface updates, hands-on tips, and clear analysis to help you get more value from new features. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. 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.

Gemini could soon handle tasks in the background without holding your screen hostage

You might finally be able to switch apps without starting over Using the Gemini overlay on Android today comes with a major limitation that breaks the flow of multitasking. When you trigger Gemini using the hotword or by long pressing the power button, the assistant appears on top of whatever app you are using. But despite looking like an overlay, it does not behave like one. The moment you tap the background to return to another app, Gemini shuts down entirely. When you bring it back, the conversation is gone, and you have to start over, making longer or slower tasks frustrating to use. Recommended Videos Google is now working on a fix that would address this exact problem. According to Android Authority, the latest beta version of Google app suggests the Gemini overlay is being redesigned so it no longer disappears when you leave it. Instead of closing, the overlay would collapse into a small floating action button that stays on screen, allowing Gemini to keep running while you move on to other apps. How the floating Gemini button changes everything With this approach, Gemini can keep working in the background while you continue using other apps. You can start a query, switch away while Gemini processes it, and then return to the same conversation by tapping the floating button once the response is ready. This allows you to move back and forth, add context from other apps, and refine your request without resetting the session each time. Once you are done, a simple swipe closes Gemini completely. The feature is not live yet and comes from beta testing, so it may still change. But if it rolls out as expected, this update would fix the most annoying thing about the Gemini overlay and finally let it handle background chores the way users already expect. This update also fits into Google's broader push to make Gemini faster and more useful across Android. The company recently revealed Gemini 3 Flash, a lighter model to speed up AI Search and improve image generation. Google is also taking it's Deep Research AI beyond its own apps, through an API inside third party apps. All of this comes ahead of a bigger shift, with Google confirming Gemini will fully replace Assistant on phones in 2026.