Gemini assistant to get a new 'Conversation' mode on Android

Google is preparing yet another useful feature for its new assistant — Gemini. Recent findings reveal that a new ‘Conversation’ mode is currently in the works for Gemini. As the name implies, the Conversation mode will let you speak to Gemini more naturally without having to manually trigger the speech recognition every time.

For those who use Google Assistant, this feature might sound familiar. You can enable the ‘Continued Conversation’ mode in the assistant settings. This allows you to ask it follow-up questions as the assistant automatically re-opens the device’s microphone after every response it gives. Unfortunately, Gemini currently lacks this capability. So you have to manually trigger the assistant to get it to respond to your query.

This new ‘Conversation mode, however, is likely to change that for the better. The feature was first spotted by code sleuth AssembleDebug who shared a screenshot of the new ‘Conversation’ mode icon within the Gemini assistant window with us. The icon appears in the bottom-left corner.

Here’s a screenshot for reference:

At present, tapping on the icon crashes the assistant. This crashing is precisely how the tipster managed to pinpoint the name of the feature as it showed up in the crash logs as ‘CONVERSATION_MODE’.

The introduction of the Conversation mode is a significant step towards making Gemini a more natural and engaging assistant. Users will be able to have a back-and-forth conversation with Gemini, similar to how you would chat with a friend. This will improve the overall user experience, making it feel less robotic and more intuitive.

Alternatively, there’s also a chance that this might work like the interpreter mode in Google Translate. Given the early stages the feature is currently in, we can’t pinpoint the exact functionality.

There is no official word from Google about when the Conversation mode will be available to the public. Since the feature is still under development, it might take some time before it rolls out to all users. However, the fact that it’s being worked on suggests Google’s commitment to making Gemini a powerful and user-friendly assistant.

Apart from the ‘Conversation’ mode, Gemini is also going to get a new ‘Real-time responses’ function, a better windowed-mode, and even support for music playback via apps like Spotify.