Google Gemini's Android App Set to Expand Canvas Features, Bringing Desktop Capabilities to Mobile

Gemini on Android may soon support the full range of Canvas creation options (APK teardown)

Now it looks like Google's working to bring the same option to the Gemini mobile app. On-device AI models like Gemini Nano are very impressive for what they're able to do within some serious hardware constraints, but when it comes to AI solutions capable of some real heavy lifting, we still turn to cloud-hosted services the majority of the time. And while that's totally workable, it does leave us feeling just a wee bit frustrated when we don't have the same features available to us across platforms. Gemini's slowly been getting better in this regard, bringing more and more web features to its mobile app, and we've just spotted another that's getting ready to make the transition.

Your Gemini app will soon turn documents into webpages and quizzes

I left Chrome for Samsung Internet on Android -- and I'm never going back Google Gemini is comfortably among the best AI tools available today, competing primarily with chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude by Anthropic, and others. As we've noticed on multiple occasions, Google introduces features on the Gemini web client first before bringing them over to its mobile apps. However, with the Gemini Canvas feature, things have been a little different. While Canvas is currently available through Gemini mobile apps, including Android, users can't access all of its capabilities. It now appears that Google is taking steps to change that. While reviewing the Google Gemini beta (version 16.31.75.sa.arm64), Android Authority enabled the interactive Canvas features that were previously limited to the web version. A new Create button (+ icon) will appear when you open the document/list created through Canvas. Tapping this icon displays a bottom sheet offering options such as Web page, Infographic, Quiz, Audio Overview, and Something Else, if you're in the mood to experiment. It has taken Google long enough Current (left) vs Upcoming (middle and right) While the onscreen buttons in the three screenshots above appear practically unchanged, the second and third screenshots feature the aforementioned Create button in the top right of the screen, positioned to the left of the Share button. Depending on the kind of hardware you own, some of these Create options can take a while to load (compared to the desktop version), with Audio Overviews taking a particularly long time in my experience. Close The full suite of Gemini Canvas tools on mobile web Although smartphone users can still access Gemini Canvas through their browsers, it is always more convenient to have some of these features built into the app, as that's typically the user's first destination. It's worth noting that while Canvas and its corresponding features are free to use in the Gemini web and mobile apps, you will need a Google AI Pro/Ultra subscription for uninterrupted use. Canvas was first released in March this year as a feature designed to help you improve drafts, review your code, or create interactive experiences, including quizzes, infographics, webpages, or even apps. However, as Android users quickly learned, not all of these features are available in the Gemini app. There's no word on when these Gemini Canvas features will officially make it to the Gemini mobile apps, though we presume it won't take long.

You Might Soon Be Able to Use All Canvas Apps in Gemini's Android App

Gemini Live was recently integrated with Google Calendar and Maps Google is reportedly working on improving the Canvas feature within Gemini's Android app. According to the report, the Mountain View-based tech giant is expanding the functionality of Canvas, enabling users to create various content formats and even an app within the sandbox-style interface. If true, this new functionality will substantially enhance the overall experience users get via the tool, and they would not have to resort to the desktop version of the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for it. Gemini on Android to Reportedly Get New Features in Canvas According to an Android Authority report, the new Canvas features were spotted within the Google app for Android version 16.31.75.sa.arm64 beta update. These features are currently under development, so beta testers will not be able to try them out. The publication was able to preview these tools during the teardown process of an Android application package (APK). New Canvas features in the Gemini Android app Photo Credit: Android Authority Based on screenshots shared by the publication, it appears that the tech giant is working on increasing the use cases of Canvas via the mobile app. Canvas was first introduced to the web client in March. It was designed as a collaborative space where users and AI can work together on creative and coding projects. Canvas can be used to write content, code, create infographics and more. However, the feature's full transition to the mobile app has been slow. While users have been able to make inline edits to the generated output and take the AI's assistance to change things around on the website, the app has only allowed users to open the file and copy the text. As per the report, this could soon change. The publication found that when opening a Canvas file, users can now see options to create a web page, infographic, quiz, Audio Overviews, and even apps using the tool. Although Android Authority was unable to test it, likely, users will also be able to highlight a part of the text and summon Gemini to make changes to it. Notably, the new features have not been confirmed by Google, and there is no word on when they will be rolled out to users.