Google’s Gemini AI assistant can now ‘check’ smartphone tasks
Google’s Gemini AI assistant has finally been updated with a Utilities extension that allows it to control various tasks on a user’s smartphone. The Mountain View-based tech giant first announced this expansion at its Google I/O event earlier this year. The Utilities extension allows the Gemini AI assistant on Android devices to control first-party apps and tasks such as alarm, timer, volume control and camera. The extension has been spotted on some devices, but a full rollout may take several weeks.
Gemini must be set as the default assistant to use the utility extension
The Utilities extension is available through the Gemini app for Android. However, since the feature works through the smartphone’s virtual assistant, users will need to ensure that Gemini is set as the default assistant for the device. Additionally, the feature currently works with English language prompts, so commands in other languages are not currently supported.
This expansion addresses a major pain point in the Gemini AI Assistant, which was that it couldn’t perform device-related tasks such as setting an alarm and timer or opening the camera. Until now, Google’s solution has been to use app-specific extensions or activate Google Assistant to perform the tasks. However, these solutions have taken away from the overall experience of using the virtual assistant.
Gemini Utilities extension
At Google I/O, the tech giant announced that the extension will allow Gemini to perform multiple tasks with a single natural language prompt. For example, users can ask it to set an alarm, enable Do Not Disturb mode, and open a website.
Gadgets 360 employees were able to see and activate this extension. Allows the AI assistant to manage tasks such as setting and silencing alarms, setting and stopping timers, turning on or off the flashlight, Bluetooth, Do not disturb and battery saver mode, checking the volume and battery level of the device, turning off or restarting the device, and more. Some of these tasks can also be performed on the lock screen.
The Utilities extension also allows Gemini to open the Camera app and click a photo or take a screenshot. The AI assistant can also control media playback on a media player app and perform tasks such as pause and play functions and skip to the previous or next media.
