Gemini Live is one of Google’s best AI tools to date, but it often feels more like a party trick than something you’d want to use on a daily basis. I intermittently used Gemini Live multi-mode camera and screen sharing features in situations where additional context seemed important.
However, the basics Gemini The chatbot remained my preferred AI feature for casual questions and daily help. That all changed following a major update to the Gemini app that added a completely overhauled Neural Expressive UI. Everyone talks about the color and minimal design of Gemini or Gemini Daily Brief app, but the feature I can’t stop using after the update is Gemini Live.
Gemini Live’s old voice-based user interface is gone and in its place is a new approach that focuses on AI-generated content. It displays spoken words, generated images, and more on the screen as you conduct your live chat with Gemini. You can copy, share, or export Gemini Live responses without ending the conversation. is the most Underrated update coming out of Google I/Oand I can’t stop using it.
What’s new in the Gemini app UI?
The old Gemini Live experience made sense for long-duration voice conversations or questions that required real-time, multimodal context. It wasn’t ideal for quick chats or basic questions. This is because Gemini Live’s outbound UI took up the entire screen and didn’t provide much visual value. There was a wave-shaped graph that moved as Gemini spoke, but you couldn’t see or act on anything he said.
The video experience was slightly better, showing a viewfinder for streaming video that was shared with the Gemini. I have used Gemini Live’s video streaming feature for everything from improving the health of my plants to rearrange the layout of my apartment. Still, these images were about the content you share with Gemini, not the other way around.
Google’s new Neural Expressive design language for Gemini Live condenses that waveform animation into a little pill. All the extra space is now used to highlight Gemini’s responses. As before, you can casually talk to Gemini Live and hear spoken responses in real time. The difference now is that these responses will also appear on the screen, so you can read or listen to what Gemini Live has to say.
How I multitask using the new Gemini Live interface
The new focus on visual content enables new use cases for Gemini Live. You can ask him to generate images with Nano Banana 2for example, and see the result immediately. The conversation remains active, allowing for adjustments and follow-up workshops. This is something the old Gemini Live could never do.
To try it out, tap the waveform icon on the new Neural Expressive pill on the Gemini app home screen. The Gemini Live experience will begin, but you will remain on a modified version of the home page.
Around the Gemini Live animation tablet, you’ll see buttons to stream live video, share screen, mute microphone, and exit. Start by asking Gemini Live a question and watch as the screen fills with the chatbot’s responses.
This is where things get really useful. You can tap to interrupt Gemini Live, and when you do, a plain text transcript of what the chatbot said appears; is the same as what you would see using the text-based version of Gemini. This opens a series of controls and functions. I can like, dislike, update, or copy the text of a Gemini Live response while the conversation continues.
Previously, the old Gemini Live experience required users to end the live chat before the transcription and text controls appeared.
A Gemini Live response can be exported to Docs, moved to a draft in Gmail, or used to branch a new chat. With the copy feature, you can easily move a response from Gemini Live to any other app without ending the conversation.
Gemini Live also works directly from your home screen. You can activate Live by holding down the power button or by swiping up from the bottom right corner and tapping the Gemini Live waveform icon. The compact user interface makes even more sense for multitasking while using your device.
As you continue using your phone, Gemini Live’s interface collapses into a small sphere, leaving plenty of room for your content. In the meantime, you can still chat with Live. Tapping the circular overlay brings the buttons back into view, so you can share your screen, cast your camera feed, or mute your microphone. You can also hang up or mute Gemini Live from the live notification in the notification tone.
Gemini Live could be better than the basic Gemini now
If I’m honest, the core Gemini chat experience took a step back with the Neural Expressive overhaul.
Things are harder to find, like how tools and attachments are strangely combined into a unified menu. There are no longer hint chips to generate ideas or help users experiment with new Gemini features. While the basic Gemini chat screen arguably became less functional, the Gemini Live experience only became more functional.
The updated version of Gemini Live lets you see text, images, and more on your screen while the AI voice assistant speaks. I get almost all the benefits of using the chat experience without having to type or send multiple queries. Now that Gemini Live is so useful, I don’t see myself using anything else.
Best for Gemini Live
Google Pixel phones are designed for multi-modal Gemini Live and the Neural Expressive interface fits perfectly with Google’s Material 3 Expressive design language. The Google Pixel 10 also has a Tensor G5 chip, a 6.3-inch display, and a triple camera system.
