Gemini has fully replaced Google Assistant on Android Auto, introducing an intelligent co-pilot in your dashboard. It can transform your daily commute if you learn to use it smartly, though we've also seen users complain that Gemini on Android Auto makes driving less safe.
Regardless of whether you love it or not, Google is giving us all kinds of hints that Gemini on Android Auto is here to stay. Not only that, but Google is quietly working towards improving the Gemini experience on Android. And one of the first few things it's planned to do seems to be a design makeover.
As spotted by Android Authority, Google is planning to introduce a new Gemini animation on Android Auto. The new animation was spotted in the latest version of the Android Auto app (v7.9.664004).
The new animation is still hidden, but folks over at Android Authority have managed to enable it on their devices, giving us a clear look at how it is different from the current one.
Upcoming Gemini UI in Android Auto is more noticeable
Currently, Gemini's listening indicator is a small line of glowing blue light that appears at the bottom of the . But this will likely be replaced by the upcoming animation, where the glowing effect is more pronounced. Also, the animation now spans across the entire width of the screen, not a small portion, unlike the current UI.
This is part of Google's effort to revamp Gemini's UI using what the company calls Neural Expressive design language, which the company announced at its annual developer conference in May this year. So, the experiment isn't really surprising to us. In fact, we would be surprised if Google put this on the back burner.
On top of this—and this one is quite surprising—Google is also working on a "Personalization" feature for Gemini on Android. Just like how it works on mobile phones, Gemini on Android Auto will also be able to respond with connected apps and past conversations, according to Android Authority. While the appeal won't be as much as on phones, it's the right move to make Gemini more personalized on Android Auto.
We haven't seen a hands-on demo of how the feature works in the real world, unlike the new animation. This suggests that the new animation could release sooner than the "Personalization" feature. Either way, we can't wait to use them to elevate our Android Auto experience.