Google appears to be gearing up for a significant overhaul of its Gemini AI app, shifting its focus from a standard chatbot to a more visually engaging experience. This move, which follows the success of OpenAI’s Sora video editing app, suggests Google is aiming for a more appealing and intuitive user interface (UI) for its AI assistant.
The company is reportedly experimenting with a new UI that replaces the current chatbot-style look with a scrollable feed. This feed would feature suggested prompts paired with striking images, designed to inspire users on how to interact with Gemini’s AI capabilities.
The New Look and Feel
These impending changes were discovered by Android Authority in a recent version of the Gemini Android app, though they aren’t live to the public yet. A reverse engineer activated the new home screen from the app’s code, revealing the updated layout. In this new design, utility features like “Create Image” and “Deep Research” shortcut buttons are moved higher up the screen, followed immediately by the scrollable, inspirational feed.
Suggested prompts hint at the visual possibilities, offering fun ways to manipulate photos—such as “Teleport me to deep space,” “Give me a vintage or grunge look,” or “Turn my drawing into a storybook.” Other suggestions, presented with colorful backgrounds, propose diverse use cases, like “Brainstorm out loud with Live” or “Send me a daily news roundup.”
Inspiring Use and Competing with OpenAI
The primary goal of this revamp is to give users specific, concrete ideas for using Gemini’s AI, rather than forcing them to explore its full capabilities on a blank screen. It also significantly enhances the app’s visual appeal and engagement factor.
If rolled out publicly, this visual shift could provide Google with a stronger competitive edge against rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which still presents a relatively minimalist, blank screen upon launch. Furthermore, the revamped app could better capitalize on the consumer demand generated by Google’s newer image model, Nano Banana. This model previously helped the Gemini app climb the App Store’s Top Charts, briefly securing the No. 1 spot until it was recently overtaken by Sora. A Google spokesperson confirmed to reporters that while there’s no announcement “just yet,” changes are clearly in the works.
