Google has officially announced that the Gemini Live camera and screen share features originally reserved for subscribers and flagship devices are now free for all Android users via the Gemini app. This marks a major shift from the company’s earlier plan to keep the real-time AI interaction features exclusive to Gemini Advanced subscribers.
What Is Gemini Live?
Gemini Live is Google’s conversational AI feature that allows users to interact with what their phone camera sees or what’s displayed on their screen. Using AI, it can:
- Identify objects in real-time via your camera
- Help with shopping decisions
- Answer questions about what’s on-screen (like websites or documents)
- Offer suggestions or advice based on visual context
The feature rolled out earlier this month for Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 users and was initially tied to a paid subscription. However, after strong user feedback, Google reversed course.
“We’ve been hearing great feedback on Gemini Live with camera and screen share, so we decided to bring it to more people,”
— Google via X (formerly Twitter)
When Will It Be Available?
The feature began rolling out today and will become available to all Android users with the Gemini app over the coming weeks. Users can expect a seamless experience once the update hits their devices — no subscription required.
How It Works
In a demo video shared by Google, a user points their phone at an aquarium exhibit, and Gemini Live instantly identifies the sea creatures and offers educational details. The feature also allows screen sharing so users can ask Gemini for help on anything from comparing products on a shopping site to offering fashion advice from their open browser.
Competition Heating Up
The update comes on the same day that Microsoft announced its own visual AI tool, Copilot Vision, is now available for free through the Edge browser. As AI capabilities grow more visual and interactive, tech giants are racing to offer the best, most accessible experiences to users.
By making Gemini Live’s camera and screen share features free, Google is lowering the barrier to entry for powerful AI tools and expanding the reach of its Gemini ecosystem. With Android’s massive global user base, this move could accelerate adoption of visual-first AI assistance and heat up the competition in the AI assistant space.
