Google is officially rolling out screen and camera sharing in Gemini Live for Android, and I’ve just tried it on my Pixel 9—it’s a game changer. This feature, which started appearing in March, is now widely available on both Pixel 9 and the Galaxy S25 series. Here’s what I discovered while exploring this powerful update powered by Project Astra.
Gemini Live Just Got Smarter with Project Astra
If you’ve used Gemini’s conversational mode before, you’ll know it could already take voice, image, YouTube, and PDF input. Now, thanks to Project Astra, it can actually “see” what’s happening on your screen or through your phone’s camera.
Once I launched the Gemini overlay, I noticed a new chip labeled “Share screen with Live.” Tapping this let me share my screen with the Google app. Although Android asks for confirmation (and only allows full-screen sharing, not single-app sharing), it’s a straightforward experience.
A notification pill with a timer appears in the status bar, just like a call in progress. Tapping it brings up the full Gemini Live interface. A subtle vibration signals that Gemini is actively analyzing and ready to help.
How to Use Screen Sharing in Gemini Live
There are two easy ways I’ve used to start screen sharing with Gemini Live:
- From the Gemini Overlay: Tap the new screen sharing chip.
- From the Gemini Live UI: Just hit the dedicated screen share button.
Google has also redesigned the control layout slightly, shrinking the classic circular buttons into sleeker pill-shaped controls for a cleaner experience.
Share Your Camera Feed and Talk to Gemini About What You See
Another killer feature is the ability to share your camera feed live. Whether I pointed it at my desk, a book, or the outdoors, Gemini could interpret what it saw and answer questions accordingly.
Here’s what happens:
- A live preview fills most of the screen.
- A button on the bottom-right lets me switch between the rear and front cameras.
- Gemini gives real-time insights based on what the camera sees.
- Google recommends moving the camera slowly for best results and keeping the screen active throughout the session.
Astra Powers the Next-Gen Gemini Experience
This rollout is part of Google’s Project Astra, which the company teased during I/O 2024 and elaborated on during the Galaxy S25 launch in January 2025. Astra is essentially Google DeepMind’s vision of a universal AI agent designed to help in real-world, everyday scenarios.
With the Gemini 2.0 engine, features like live camera input, real-time screen comprehension, and seamless voice interaction come together to make Gemini far more powerful than it’s ever been.
Who’s Getting This Gemini Live Update First?
As of now, the rollout is limited to:
- Google Pixel 9 users as part of a feature-specific Pixel Drop
- Samsung Galaxy S25 series devices
To get it right away, I had to force stop the Gemini or Google app and restart it.
Google has confirmed that this will soon expand to all Gemini Advanced subscribers, who are paying $19.99 per month through the Google One AI Premium plan on Android.
A Big Leap for On-Device AI
After trying it out, I can say this is one of the most meaningful Gemini updates yet. Whether I’m using screen sharing to get help navigating a website, or showing Gemini something via the camera, the response is fast, accurate, and genuinely useful.
For those of us following AI innovation closely, this rollout shows just how serious Google is about transforming Gemini into a truly universal AI assistant—and it’s only just getting started.
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