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As phone app response times go, every second counts. This principle couldn’t be more evident than Google’s decision to introduce real-time responses to its Gemini Android app. Rather than waiting three to five seconds for the ChatGPT rival to spit out a response, users will soon have the option to view the chatbot’s answers as it “writes” them.
An Android fan who goes by AssembleDebug on X (formerly Twitter) noticed Gemini’s upcoming feature and tipped off the Google Pixel news website PiunikaWeb. AssembleDebug reportedly uncovered a toggle in Gemini’s settings that enables users to turn “real-time responses” on or off. Once the feature is toggled on, users see Gemini’s responses as they’re being generated rather than receiving the entire response in a single go.
A video provided by AssembleDebug shows the feature in action. After AssembleDebug asks about the significance of the Taj Mahal, Gemini takes a moment to process the question, then begins unraveling its response on-screen. The answer is unchanged; instead, the animation through which it’s displayed looks a little nicer—and more gratifying for those with little patience—than before.
Credit: AssembleDebug/PiunikaWeb
The purpose behind Gemini’s new feature appears to be twofold. To start, it makes the Gemini user experience more consistent across desktop and mobile: Only the desktop version currently displays real-time responses, meaning a slower experience could be jarring for those unfamiliar with the Android version. It also makes the smartphone experience appear a bit smoother. Competitors like ChatGPT already use real-time responses on both desktop and mobile. As that experience becomes the norm, it’s up to Gemini and other up-and-coming chatbots to match users’ expectations.
It’s unclear whether AssembleDebug accessed the real-time response toggle through a beta program or other means. PiunikaWeb writes, “The feature seems mostly ready, [and] we’ll likely see the setting show up sooner than later.” When the toggle rolls out at scale, it will likely come with a new option to deny Gemini access to your location, according to a feature at the bottom of AssembleDebug’s screenshot.