Since landing on Android, Gemini has picked up plenty of upgrades, like deeper app integration and lock screen support. Late last year, an update added a quick split-screen option for easier multitasking on tablets and foldables. Now, that feature is making its way to regular smartphones.
You can currently launch the Gemini app in several ways, including using voice, gestures, or dedicated shortcuts. Instead of taking over your whole screen, it opens as an overlay locked to a smaller window. Google has improved this overlay with resizable windows and split-screen support. The feature first showed up on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and has since expanded to more foldables and large-screen devices like tablets.
In addition to those form factors, Gemini’s split-screen feature is now live on regular slab phones. As reported by Android Authority, a Telegram user spotted it working on their Pixel 8 Pro after installing the Google app’s beta version 16.35.63.sa.arm64.
Split-screen multitasking on the go
Here’s how it works, assuming the feature is live on your device: open the Gemini overlay on any app, then press and drag the Gemini bar upward to split the screen. That stacks Gemini and your current app on top of each other. For what it’s worth, dragging the bar left or right puts them side by side on bigger screens.
This experience makes it easy to pull up Gemini without stopping what you’re doing, like watching a video or reading. But for now, it’s limited as you’ll need the Google app’s beta version, and stable build users won’t get split-screen until Google makes it more widely available.
Gemini has been picking up a bunch of handy upgrades lately to keep up with the surge in generative AI demand. Most Google apps now have Gemini extensions for quick access to the chatbot, and Google recently added the option for Gemini to answer calls right from the lock screen without unlocking your phone.