Gemini app for Android gets new side panel and settings

Google is deploying a visual overhaul to the Gemini app on Android phones. The changes arrived through a server-side push, allowing users to see the new interface without downloading a fresh version of the software.

The navigation drawer now places the search function in the top-right corner. The "New chat" option remains the first item in the list. The "Library" section moved up from the bottom of the drawer to sit directly under the chat entry.

To prevent the menu from becoming cluttered, the app displays only five items by default. Tapping a "More" button reveals the remaining options. For users subscribed to the AI Ultra tier, the full list includes New chat, Library, Images, Scheduled, Daily brief, Customize, Students, Videos, and Gems.

Google also merged the settings pages. Preferences previously scattered across the account menu and a separate settings area now live on a single screen. The account menu serves a narrower purpose, handling account switches, feedback, and help requests.

The unified settings page begins with Manage account and Usage limits. A Preferences section follows, listing Notifications, Personal Intelligence, Avatar, Task settings, Theme, Skills, Voice, Media, Device controls, Cart and orders, and Gemini Notebook. The Theme option is marked as a new addition.

Two additional sections complete the layout. Data and privacy covers Import memory, contact information, app activity, public links, and the Privacy Help Hub. A final Get support section lists Help, Report a problem, About, and Updates.

This Android rollout follows the same changes that reached iOS, macOS, and web users last week. Those earlier updates coincided with the launch of Gemini 4 Argon. Other recent changes to the app include the "Map" tool, a shift to Auto models for free users, and the replacement of the slash shortcut with an at symbol.