Google's Gemini AI Assistant Now Accessible on Locked Android Phones

Google Gemini AI Assistant Can Now Answer Questions, Perform Tasks On Locked Android Phone - News18

Google now lets you use Gemini as the default assistant on Android phones which will soon work on locked screen as well. The Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) assistant on Android has received an upgrade, and users will now be able to instruct it to execute specific activities even when the device is locked. Earlier, the AI-powered virtual assistant could reply on the lock screen and finish any tasks that needed to be done by calling Google Assistant. With this new version, users can ask basic inquiries and get general replies without having to unlock the device, in addition to doing tasks like setting, stopping, and snoozing alarms. The new feature was announced on Gemini's support page. The update says, "You can get help from Gemini by touch or by saying "Hey Google" (if on) when your device is locked, based on your lock screen settings." Surprisingly, the command 'Hey Google' works even when the screen is off. The prompt wakes up the screen and displays the Gemini AI bottom sheet interface, allowing the user to continue to vocally command the virtual assistant or write in the inquiry. The Gemini AI assistant displays the answer in a full-screen window, just as when the device is unlocked. The lock screen appears once you close the Gemini window. Users may use the AI to ask general questions, set, pause, and play music, and set snooze, and stop alarms and timers. They can also adjust the volume and turn on the flashlight or torch. Google Assistant is still used for these operations, but the user experience is now better and the user does not have to wait for the command to be completed. To get the Gemini AI to answer generic queries on the lock screen, the user must have granted Gemini permission to operate on the lock screen. Users can accomplish this by opening Gemini, tapping on their profile image, tapping Gemini on their lock screen, and then turning on Responses. Similarly, users must allow Gemini permission to access Google Assistant features for it to carry out tasks on the lock screen. - Open Gemini on your Android phone to accomplish this. - And finally, click on Responses on the lock screen.

Finally, new Android update gives Gemini the lock screen feature we've all been hoping for

Gemini for Android is getting easier to use, as it should've been all along. To date, saying, "Hey, Google" to a locked phone only allowed Gemini to handle a few basic tasks like setting alarms and timers, controlling media, and phone controls like flashlight and volume. Now, Gemini can help answer basic questions from your lock screen, Google says. Also: How to factory reset your Android phone without unlocking it Google didn't specify what "basic questions" meant, but when I tested the feature, it was able to provide things that were generally available via online search and read the result out loud. I asked about the weather, the next game time for my favorite team, the population of my state, and other basic search-style questions and received an answer for each. Tapping into the generative AI side, I asked it to generate a list of themed ideas for my kid's birthday and received a list I could access later. Google Assistant, the default option on most Android phones before now, has allowed for lock screen operation for some time now. Of course I was a little concerned about privacy. What happens if someone finds or steals my phone? Can they read messages, change my schedule, or contact someone while the device is locked? From my testing, no. Asking for more personal things like my next calendar event or my last text message required unlocking the device. I tried asking it to text my wife to say I'd be late, and while it did offer up several versions of a text I could send, it didn't bring up the messaging app to let me send it. Google adds that Gemini can't perform some lock screen tasks that Google Assistant can if it isn't your primary assistant. So, if you want to take full advantage, you'll want to make Gemini your main option. Also: How to use Gemini: Everything you should know This feature will be on by default if you have Gemini, but you can turn it off if you'd like. To stop Gemini from answering questions from your phone's lock screen, open Gemini and tap on your profile picture in the top right corner. Open "Settings" and then "Gemini on lock screen." You'll see a toggle to turn the option off. Using Gemini from your Android's lock screen doesn't necessarily open up any new capabilities, but it does make accessing Gemini much more convenient, especially while driving. Instead of reaching for your phone to Google a random question that pops into your mind or to find quick information, you can now find most of what you need hands-free.