Google’s Gemini Live voice chat feature now available to all Android users for free

Google has begun rolling out Gemini Live to all Android users, bringing down the restriction that previously allowed only paid subscribers to chat with the AI bot. The two-way interactive voice chat functionality lets users talk to the bot and ask it questions through voice instead of using textual prompts. The bot also speaks back to reply.

Initially available to Google One AI Premium subscribers, the Gemini Live feature helps users engage in conversations with the bot just like they would when speaking to a person. However, the free tier provides access to Gemini Live’s basic version, which lacks up to ten different voices and the bot’s capability to answer a variety of questions. Users still require a subscription to get full access.

Android users can simply long-press the home button or say “Hey, Google” to activate Gemini on the screen. The talkback feature is accessible through a new waveform icon sitting next to the microphone and camera icons inside the Gemini widget on the screen’s bottom. Tapping the waveform icon activates the voice mode where Gemini Live talks instead of sending replies in text. When users enter the full-screen mode, it looks like a phone call with Gemini Live on the other end. The chatbot supports interruptions and can adapt to changes in the flow of conversation at any point.

Gemini Live is Google’s answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode through which ChatGPT can talk to users. The recent update upgraded the experience where ChatGPT talks like a human with nuances in voice and changes in tone throughout the speech. OpenAI’s chatbot also has emotional possessiveness – a matter of concern among advocates who demand regulation of AI. ChatGPT’s voice functionality is more popular among users, so Google’s decision to offer Gemini Live for free to all Android users could be a way to increase the adoption of its AI chatbot.