Google’s Gemini Live is quickly becoming an indispensable tool for many, specifically because of its Project Astra capabilities. A recent bug in the tool’s video feed quality, however, has left a sour taste in some users’ mouths.
First presented at Google I/O 2024, the tech giant’s conversational AI assistant doesn’t just let users have natural-sounding conversations, it also lets users probe the AI for on-screen context and what it sees through your phone camera’s live feed. It’s a powerful tool for those seeking immediate and context-aware information on the go.
Recently, though, the Gemini Live’s Project Astra capabilities have hit a snag — one that Google is addressing right now. Although I haven’t personally noticed this on either Android or iOS, Google indicated that users have recently been complaining about degraded quality in Gemini Live’s video feed. A quick search on Reddit revealed that the issue has been prevalent for a month at the very least.
Not only could a degraded video feed resolution impact the Gemini Live’s ability to detect what is being pointed at, it could also be equally frustrating for users, especially those with accessibility needs. Google doesn’t want its flagship AI tool to be marred by avoidable issues like blurry video quality, and is promptly rolling out a fix.
Some of you have reported that you experience a blurry video in Gemini Live when you share your camera with Live on Android Gemini mobile app. We appreciate your feedback and the team has rolled out a fix that improves your camera resolution in Gemini Live.
Google is swiping left on convenience
The fix comes as a server-side rollout, considering that there’s no immediate app update available to install.
Elsewhere, as pointed out by the folks over at 9to5Google, the rollout seems to have reversed a new shortcut that Google introduced early in June. For reference, up until earlier this week, Gemini Live on Android was (literally) just a swipe away. Swiping left from Gemini’s home screen offered a convenient shortcut to accessing the conversational AI tool.
The shortcut is still functional on my iPhone, but it appears to have been removed on Android. Gemini Live’s dedicated icon is now the only way to access the conversational AI.
