Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Mobile
  4. News

Gemini Live, Google’s futuristic AI feature, is now free to use

Add as a preferred source on Google
A demonstration of Gemini Live on a Google Pixel 9.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Gemini Live, one of Google Gemini’s more exciting features, will soon be available to Android users for free. The Google Gemini team announced the important news on X. The tool was previously only available through a Gemini Advanced subscription.

Gemini Live provides access to a Gemini AI chatbot, allowing you to have natural, free-flowing conversations with the AI using your voice instead of typing. Think of Gemini Live as your new digital best friend on your mobile device. It is capable of answering questions, assisting with homework, helping you plan trips abroad, and much more.

Recommended Videos

Gemini Live was previously only accessible with a Gemini Advanced subscription, which costs$20 monthly after a one-month free trial. This subscription grants access to Google’s latest AI model, Gemini 1.5 Pro, offering significantly more advanced intelligence than Gemini’s free version. This includes access to larger volumes of information, improved reasoning abilities, and higher-quality text, images, and other creative content for user prompts.

In addition, a Gemini Advanced subscription provides Gemini support for Google products like Gmail and Docs, offers Python code for developers, and grants priority access to new features.

Furthermore, Gemini Advanced unlocks 2TB of advanced storage through Google One. This storage works with Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos, and it is utilized for device backup, similar to other Google One plans.

According to the announcement, the Gemini Live freebie is only available in English and only for Android users using the Gemini app. Apple users, who can only access Gemini Live through the iOS Google app, are not getting the freebie, at least for now.

This is massive news for anyone who wants to try Gemini Live, but doesn’t want to pay the admission price. Hopefully, the free option will eventually roll out in a new language and, of course, to all mobile users, not just those using Android.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
Reddit wants to send you down new rabbit holes with its personalized ‘For You’ feed
Your Reddit homepage is getting a makeover, with personalized recommendations and a feed dedicated to communities you follow.
reddit

Reddit is giving your scrolling habits a new twist with two homepage feeds designed for different moods. The new 'For You' feed pulls you into communities you never even knew you wanted. Meanwhile, Following keeps things familiar with posts from communities you have already joined.

The update is rolling out globally over the next few weeks, giving you a choice between discovering something new and catching up with your usual favorites.

Read more
Google’s new Android XR tools let developers test apps without needing to buy expensive smart glasses
Google has also added new Android CLI tools to help AI coding agents test apps and catch performance issues.
Gentle Moster smart glasses powered by Android XR

At the 2026 Android Dev Summit, Google has announced some interesting features coming to both Android XR and Android CLI. Developers can now build and test apps for smart glasses without owning the hardware, while Android's command-line tools are getting upgrades that help AI coding agents test applications and identify performance problems. Both announcements could eventually mean better apps for both Android and extended reality hardware users.

Building Android XR apps without owning smart glasses

Read more
Google is making it easier to adapt Android apps for laptops and foldable phones
Google is helping developers make Android apps work beyond smartphones
Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Google updated its adaptive Compose skill to help developers adapt existing Android apps for laptops, foldable phones, tablets, and other form factors, including the upcoming Googlebook platform. The goal of this update is to help AI coding agents customize apps for different screen sizes and input methods without developers having to maintain separate codebases for different devices.

The new skill goes beyond responsive layouts, adding support for desktop-focused features and foldable-specific interface adjustments. Google is also signaling that adaptive app experiences will be more prominent on Google Play, with the company planning to pay more attention to how apps and games perform on foldable devices next year.

Read more