Google Gemini users are now able to access the AI chatbot from their iPhone lock screen, courtesy of an update released on Monday. The functionality enables users to engage with Gemini Live, Google’s live voice assistant, without having to unlock their phones. This integration is through a new Gemini widget that can be placed on the iPhone lock screen, making it easy to engage in AI interactions before even unlocking their devices.
This step is viewed as a reaction to Apple’s slow pace in coming out with its AI-capable voice assistant. Although Apple’s LLM-based version of Siri is not due until 2027, Google’s Gemini is set to bridge the gap by providing a complete, AI-powered assistant. This release provides iPhone customers a glimpse of what can be achieved with large language models (LLMs) and voice assistants, particularly given that Apple’s voice assistant will likely be integrated more intensely with iPhone functionality when it finally rolls out.
Apart from the Gemini Live integration, the new app also features a few new lock screen widgets for the iPhone. These new widgets enable users to capture photos using the phone camera and upload them instantly to Gemini, create reminders and calendar events, or go directly into a text conversation with the AI. These features provide iPhone users with additional means of accessing the Gemini app without having to open it entirely.
Furthermore, Google has announced that by the end of March, Gemini users on Android will gain a new feature enabling them to ask the AI chatbot questions about video content and get real-time responses. These features are part of Project Astra, a multimodal AI project by Google DeepMind that is gradually being incorporated into the Gemini app. For now, these enhanced capabilities will only be available to users subscribed to Gemini’s $20-per-month Advanced plan.
The lock screen integration and future video content features demonstrate Google’s ongoing effort to position Gemini as a must-have tool for AI-powered assistance. With rival ChatGPT launching similar voice features as well, it’s obvious that AI-powered interactions are increasingly becoming a defining element of how smartphones are advancing.
