Google Gemini live now supports floating overlay on Android
Google just gave Gemini Live a fresh new look on Android. Instead of taking over your whole screen, it now pops up as a floating "pill" overlay—making it way easier to multitask and chat at the same time.
The update began rolling out earlier, with limited appearances on some devices running Google app version 17.3 (stable), and a wider beta rollout to version 17.7 was reported around February 28, 2026; some overlay features remain staggered.
How to get started
You can launch the floating pill by tapping the Live icon in the Gemini overlay or by starting fullscreen Live and heading back to your homescreen.
From there, you get quick controls for sharing your camera or screen, muting your mic, or ending sessions.
Before you start chatting, the keyboard appears as an overlay; during conversations, you'll see live transcripts.
You can also toggle a waveform background
The pill can shrink down into a movable circle—think chat heads—so you can keep using other apps without losing track of your conversation.
Tap to expand it or swipe down to close.
There's also a waveform background you can toggle on/off; separately, the redesigned Gemini overlay includes a Tools menu for creating images, videos, and music, using Canvas for notes or sketches, deep research options, guided learning paths, and a Personal Intelligence toggle, though those tools are still rolling out with limited availability.
Check it out!
This redesign started rolling out widely in beta on February 28 and is already stable for some devices ahead of more updates coming soon.
If you like having AI handy without interrupting whatever else you're doing on your phone—it's worth checking out!