Google is making changes to Gemini that will make it much easier to use key features of your phone without having to unlock it first.
Recently spotted by 9to5Google, it seems the ability to send messages or make calls from the lock screen via Gemini has been slowly rolling out to users, after initially appearing in an update in December. Updating to version 15.50+ of the Google app should allow you to find the "Make calls and send messages without unlocking" feature in the Settings app (see the image below). However, users will need to make sure that the Messages and Phone Gemini extensions are turned on within Gemini for the feature to work.
This kind of feature can be very useful when you don't have a free hand or can't easily reach the phone to unlock the screen. It is especially useful in cold weather as you don't need to take off your glove and unlock the screen every time you want to make a call. As someone who has used the feature, I would recommend making sure your contact's names are distinct enough that it's easy for Gemini to find the person you intend to call.
There are many great things about Google Gemini, but using them still requires you to actually unlock the phone. This isn't a unique problem, but it did raise the question of why you would use certain Gemini features when it was just as fast to do it yourself. However, this messaging ability adds some extra flexibility.
Google has been working to make Gemini one of the best AIs on the market, and it certainly shows. For instance, Gemini Live has made the feeling of talking with Gemini much more natural, while the recent introduction of Gemini 2.0 improves how the AI works on your device, and even promises the eventual release of new AI agents.
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