Google Gemini is about to get a lot more useful on your Android phone

By Ajay Kumar Published August 1, 2024

Google Gemini app on the Motorola Razr Plus 2024. — Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Google isn’t planning on hitting the breaks on Gemini anytime soon. After first teasing a number of new extensions during Google I/O 2024, a recent APK teardown from Android Authority has revealed a ton of unannounced, useful new features from Gemini that are soon coming to your Android phone. Gemini is expected to get a variety of new extensions that will allow integration into Google services like Keep, Tasks, and Calendar.

Each of the extensions seems to provide useful features, and Android Authority has demo videos showcasing each. With Google Keep, you can now ask Gemini to create new notes and lists, add information to notes, and add or remove items from lists. Google Tasks now lets you use Gemini to create new tasks, including reminders. It’ll also allow you to view existing tasks and show their due dates.

Recommended Videos

The last major extension is for Google Calendar. You’re now able to create new calendar events, view all upcoming calendar events or ones on a specific date, and edit existing calendar events.

Google Gemini new features with phone calls. — 1. Gemini Google Tasks integration
2. Google extensions with Gemini.

Google extensions with Gemini. — 1. Gemini Google Tasks integration
2. Google extensions with Gemini.

These extensions will join already existing ones for Google Flights, Google Hotels, Maps, Workspace, YouTube, and YouTube Music. Earlier reporting also revealed that Google Home is getting an extension that will allow users to control smart home appliances like lights and switches.

Currently, you can set Gemini as your phone’s default voice assistant, but any smart-home-related asks get pushed to Google Assistant first, which slows down responsiveness. The Google Home extension should help cut out the middleman and allow Gemini to execute the command directly.

Another extension is one for the phone app, which essentially does the same thing of cutting out the middleman. Right now, any phone call commands get handled by Google Assistant first; with the extension, Gemini will take this process over.

Lastly, there’s an extension for Utilities. This is an interesting one since it’ll allow Gemini to interact directly with your phone settings and installed apps. It’ll be able to take photos, open apps, and adjust volume on your device. Android Authority speculates that it could also allow you to lock your phone, switch to dark mode, and restart your device, all hands-free.

Former Freelance Writer, Mobile

Ajay has worked in tech journalism for more than a decade as a reporter, analyst, and editor.

Topics

Phones

I visited Infinix’s first global flagship store, and it’s unlike any phone store I’ve been to

Phones, coffee, and robots: Infinix's Bali concept store was a delightful surprise

Infinix Flagship Store

I've been to plenty of smartphone stores over the years, and I can't tell any of these experiences apart. Picture neatly arranged tables, rows of smartphones, and the occasional accessory tucked away in a corner. Honestly, this works for most people who show up knowing exactly what they need and just leave.

So, when Infinix invited me to Bali for the grand opening of its first global flagship concept store, I was curious to see what the company had planned. I expected an elaborate showroom and a few extra things, like eye-catching installations to celebrate the occasion. And while there were a few of these, a lot of the things that actually caught my eye were permanent parts of the store.

Phones

Apple’s supply chain power is legendary, but a new report says it’s downright brutal

Whatever you've heard before, the reality is a lot more shocking.

Teradown view of an iPhone.

Ever wonder just how powerful Apple’s market status is? To give you an idea, here’s a passage from a searing report published by The Wall Street Journal published a few days ago:

“Around the end of 2015, Sandisk refused Apple’s requests to send additional supply because it already had customers willing to pay more. Blevins threatened a Sandisk salesman with retaliation, saying he would have Sandisk’s chief executive, Sanjay Mehrotra, “crawl on his knees” back to Apple, according to a person familiar with the call."

Phones

Android’s new ‘SMS of Death’ exploit can crash your phone without you doing anything

A malicious text message can disrupt calls and leave an Android phone stuck in a reboot loop, without the owner knowing what happened.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone in blue color.

A security researcher has uncovered a serious vulnerability in Android that allows an attacker to remotely crash a smartphone using a specially crafted text message. Dubbed "SMS of Death," the flaw can disrupt cellular services, disconnect ongoing calls, and even leave a phone stuck in a reboot loop. The troubling part is that the recipient doesn't have to interact with it at all.

The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-58882, was discovered by security researcher Mark Blaszczyk, who first notified Google about it in May. On October 29, he published his findings alongside a working demonstration, after successfully reproducing the attack on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Google has already developed a fix, but its availability across Android devices is another matter.