One of the best functions of a virtual assistant is its ability to perform tasks for you while you’re on the go, such as making calls and sending messages. Ideally, this doesn’t include you having to pull over and enter your passcode first. Continuing its campaign to make Gemini the new Google Assistant, Google has introduced an essential new feature, allowing you to reach out to contacts without unlocking your phone.
Gemini Will Finally Be Able to Make Calls Conveniently
At last, Google has started to roll out a setting for Android, which will let you ask Gemini to make a call while your phone is still locked. To see if the setting has made its way to your phone, try out the following steps:
- Go to Gemini Settings > Gemini on Lock Screen.
- Look for a header called Outgoing calls and messages.
- If you see an option to Make calls and send message without unlocking, then you have the setting.
Once you’ve toggled the setting on, you can ask for Gemini to make a call or send a message, starting with the same “Hey Google” command that you would use with Google Assistant. If you request a call or message, Gemini will send it through immediately without prompting you to unlock your phone.
If you don’t have the setting, your device may fall back to Google Assistant or ask you to unlock your phone first.
Gemini will still request that you unlock your device before sharing certain information. For example, if you receive an email that contains personal data, Gemini will prompt you to unlock your device.
Old Tricks—New Dog
The lock screen setting is yet another sign of Google entrusting Gemini with capabilities that used to belong to Google Assistant. In fact, the news closely follows the company’s roll-out of a Spotify extension that lets you play music with Gemini. Of course, playing music and making calls from your lock screen aren’t necessarily novel to Android users, who have used Google Assistant to do the very same tasks. They’re only new to Gemini.
While it seems that Gemini is only playing catch up right now, we’ll likely see it surpass Google Assistant in the future. As a large language model (LLM), Gemini will supposedly be a more efficient task worker, thanks to its ability to understand context and learn over time. Ultimately, Gemini will know your preferences, saving you time and headaches. That’s the idea, anyway.
Once again, the feature by itself isn’t earth-shattering, but it is a reminder that we should probably start getting used to the new Gemini workflow. It’s pretty clear Gemini is coming in to take Google Assistant’s job. Hopefully, more functionality comes swiftly—like the option to play music without unlocking your phone, too.
