Google’s Gemini Now Works Directly from Your Lock Screen

Last year, Google replaced Google Assistant with Gemini on Android devices, even though it was far from polished. At launch, Gemini wasn’t as powerful as its predecessor and had a major drawback—it required you to unlock your phone to perform any tasks. Fast forward a year, and Gemini has come a long way with new extensions that significantly boost its capabilities. Now, Google is addressing one of the biggest issues by making Gemini extensions available directly on the lock screen.

Use Gemini Without Unlocking Your Phone

A Community Manager from the Gemini Apps team announced last week that Gemini extensions can now be accessed right from your phone’s lock screen (via 9to5Google). If you previously used Google Assistant, this feature may already be enabled on your device. If not, you can activate it by going to Gemini settings in the Google app → Gemini on lock screen → enabling the “Use Gemini without unlocking” toggle.

Once enabled, you can call up Gemini on the lock screen and ask it to perform tasks or answer questions, just as you would if your phone were unlocked. However, certain actions—like accessing calendar details or controlling security devices such as gates and cameras—will still require phone unlocking. In these cases, Gemini will prompt you to unlock your device first.

This update builds on a previous improvement in January, where Google allowed Gemini to make calls and send messages using the Phone extension without unlocking. Gemini could also answer general questions from the lock screen, but continuing conversations required unlocking the phone.

Gemini Keeps Getting Better

While being able to use Gemini extensions from the lock screen might seem like a small update, it’s a big step forward for usability. Google is constantly improving Gemini, integrating it further into its apps and services for a smoother experience.

For example, the recently introduced Google Home Gemini extension now lets users control smart home devices using natural language commands. Additionally, Google is reportedly testing a new “Ask about the place” feature for Gemini within Google Maps, showing its commitment to making the assistant even more versatile.

With these updates, Gemini is steadily becoming a more powerful and seamless AI tool for Android users. If you haven’t explored its features yet, now might be the perfect time to give it a try!