Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has been developing an alterative notification interface for Gemini Live, featuring call-like controls.
- Samsung One UI 7 introduces the Now Bar, a system of lock screen widgets that support numerous Google apps.
- It appears that Google may also bring those call-like Gemini Live controls to the Now Bar.
Samsung is hard at work putting the finishing touches on One UI 7 right now, as Galaxy owners everywhere eagerly await their updates. With the release of the One UI 7 beta for Galaxy S24 phones, we’ve been able to enjoy an early preview of all the changes taking place, including the arrival of the Now Bar, an interactive widget at the bottom of the lock screen. As we wait to see how Samsung’s efforts progress, we’re already putting together some theories on how Now Bar could further evolve.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
The Now Bar already supports a lot of popular apps and services, including not just Samsung’s own, like Health, but also Google stuff, like Maps. And while Now Bar works with Bixby, we’re curious about what could be in the works for its integration with Google Gemini.
Samsung and Google already have a pretty chummy relationship when it comes to Gemini, and one that looks like it’s getting even stronger. We’ve already seen signs of Samsung apps preparing support for new Gemini extensions, and Samsung could even let you replace Bixby with Gemini for quick access through your Galaxy’s side button. To those we may soon be able to add some new Gemini controls for the Now Bar.
While digging through version 15.52.37.sa.arm64 of the Google app, we find some code fragments referencing not just the Now Bar itself, but also appearing to reference some recent work we uncovered on Gemini Live. You might recall that about a month back, we looked into how Gemini Live could adopt a new notification interface with phone-call-style controls, including “hang up” and “hold” buttons. Based on our analysis here, it seems that Google may want to offer a similar Gemini Live interface for One UI 7’s Now Bar.
Right now, this isn’t in any way operational, and we haven’t even been able to convince One UI to give us a preview of the interface. But with pieces beginning to fall into place behind the scenes, there’s a fair chance we might see this interaction ready to go by the time that Samsung’s new Android skin is ready to hit stable and start coming to more of the existing Galaxy lineup.
