Google Rolls Out New Glow Effect to Gemini Android Overlay

Google is expanding the Gemini app's visual design on Android with a new animated glow effect that now surrounds the entire screen perimeter when the overlay is activated.

Android Overlay Changes

Previously, the four Google colors (blue, red, green, yellow) only appeared around the pill-shaped prompt input box. With this update, the glow effect now extends to the entire screen edge when users activate the Gemini overlay. The animation is predominantly blue, with red, green, and yellow appearing toward the bottom before fading out after several seconds.

The rollout to Android is widespread, though if the change hasn't appeared on your device yet, Google recommends force-stopping the Google app to trigger the update.

Web Interface Reorganization

On the web version, Google has repositioned the Temporary chat feature for improved discoverability. The dotted icon previously located in the side panel next to "New chat" has been moved to the top-right corner, adjacent to the user's profile image and subscription status.

When activated, the Temporary chat icon displays within a blue circle, making it more prominent than its previous location. The trade-off is that users must now navigate to the homepage to activate Temporary chat if they're already in a conversation, rather than accessing it from within an active chat session.

Google stated this change "helps make the side panel a bit less cluttered." The repositioning has rolled out to all Gemini accounts on web as of March 31, 2026, though mobile availability remains limited.

Context

These updates represent ongoing refinements to Google's Gemini interface as the company continues enhancing user experience across platforms. Recent additions to Gemini include the ability to import chats and memory from competing AI services, expanded Gemini Live capabilities with Gemini 3.1 Flash, and music generation features via Lyria 3 Pro integration.

What This Means

These are primarily cosmetic and organizational changes that don't alter Gemini's core functionality but suggest Google is prioritizing interface polish and feature discoverability. The relocation of Temporary chat indicates the company views privacy-focused, session-based conversations as an important user workflow worth highlighting. Developers and power users tracking Gemini's evolution should note these UX patterns as indicative of Google's broader design philosophy for conversational AI interfaces.