Skip to main content

Google just gave vision to AI, but it’s still not available for everyone

Gemini Live App on the Galaxy S25 Ultra broadcast to a TV showing the Gemini app with the camera feature open
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

Google has just officially announced the roll out of a powerful Gemini AI feature that means the intelligence can now see.

This started in March as Google began to show off Gemini Live, but it’s now become more widely available.

Recommended Videos

Before you get too excited though, at this stage at least, it’s only available on the Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25.

Up until now Gemini has been a little limited, albeit in an impressive way. It’s been able to understand voice, images, PDFs and even YouTube videos. Now, thanks to Project Astra, Gemini can see what’s on your screen too.

This means you can simply give the AI access to your screen and then ask questions about what’s going on for you and it will be able to understand and answer.

Perhaps even more usefully, you can share your rear camera with Gemini to talk about what you’re seeing in the physical world too.

Sound familiar? Yup, this is very similar to the tech Apple Intelligence was being teased as getting last year. Yet Apple has been rumoured to be struggling with this release and we may have to wait until iOS 19, or longer, before we see it arrive on iPhones.

While the release is limited right now, it will soon be available to all Gemini Live subscribers using Android devices.

How to get Gemini Live activated on your phone

One way to open this is to launch the Gemini overlay and select the “Share screen with Live”.

Another way is to launch Gemini Live then select the screen share icon.

In either case there is a small red timer icon at the top of the screen to show you’re being viewed and listened to by Gemini Live, that you can tap into for more details.

The whole experience is a bit like being on a call with a real person – blurring the lines between human and AI ever further.

Luke Edwards
Former News Writer
Luke has over two decades of experience covering tech, science and health. Among many others, Luke writes about health tech…
Cost-cutting strips Pixel 9a of the best Gemini AI features in Pixel 9
Person holds Pixel 9a in hand while sitting in a car.

The Pixel 9a has been officially revealed, and while it's an eye candy, there are some visible cutbacks over the more premium Pixel 9 and 9 Pro series phones. The other cutbacks we don't see include lower RAM than the Pixel 9 phones, which can limit the new mid-ranger's ability to run AI applications, despite running the same Tensor G4 chipset.

Google's decision to limit the RAM to 8GB, compared to the 12GB on the more premium Pixel 9 phones, sacrifices its ability to run certain AI tasks locally. ArsTechnica has reported that as a result of the cost-cutting, Pixel 9a runs an "extra extra small" or XXS variant -- instead of the "extra small" variant on Pixel 9 -- of the Gemini Nano 1.0 model that drives on-device AI functions.

Read more
Does the Google Pixel 9a come with a charger? Here’s what’s in the box
A woman holding a purple Google Pixel 9a.

After much speculation in recent months, the Google Pixel 9a has finally been announced. Google's Pixel A series is an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable Android smartphone at a lower price point, and the latest model follows this trend. While it is undeniably part of the Google Pixel 9 series, it has fewer features than its higher-end counterparts.

One question you might have when considering the Pixel 9a is whether it comes with a charger. We’ve got the answer
The Pixel 9a does not come with a charger.
The short answer is that the Pixel 9a does not have a charger. This has become common practice for most smartphones today, including other models in the Pixel 9 series, like the Pixel 9 Pro. While this may be disappointing, it's not surprising.

Read more
Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 8a: should you upgrade?
Google Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8a.

Google has released a new budget phone, the Pixel 9a. How does it compare to its predecessor, the Pixel 8a? We've got the answers, and the changes are significant in some ways. In others, not so much. If you have a Pixel 8a and are considering upgrading, read this first.
Google Pixel 9a: vs. Google Pixel 8a: specs

Google Pixel 9a
Google Pixel 8a

Read more