Google expands Gemini Android overlay menu with six new tools accessible without opening app
Google has expanded the Gemini overlay plus menu on Android to include six tools: Videos, Music, Canvas, and Guided Learning join the existing Images and Personal Intelligence options. The update, rolling out in Google app version 17.32, allows users to access most Gemini features from anywhere on Android without opening the full app.
Google expands Gemini Android overlay menu with six new tools accessible without opening app
Google has expanded the Gemini overlay's plus menu on Android, adding four new tools that let users access more functionality without launching the full app. The update comes one month after the Neural Expressive overlay redesign.
What's new in the overlay
The plus menu previously displayed only two tools: Images and Personal Intelligence. Version 17.32 of the Google app now adds:
- Videos
- Music
- Canvas
- Guided Learning
The top carousel of tools remains unchanged, still showing Screen, Photos, Camera, Files, Drive, and Notebooks. Deep Research is not available in the overlay, as Google says this tool requires an expanded prompt box for Sources and Files that doesn't fit the overlay interface.
Usability trade-off
The expanded menu positions the tool carousel higher on the screen, which according to 9to5Google slightly reduces one-handed usability on Android devices.
What this means
This update restores functionality that existed in an earlier Gemini overlay design from earlier in 2026 but was removed during the Neural Expressive redesign in May. The expanded menu indicates Google is prioritizing quick access to Gemini's feature set from anywhere in Android, even at the cost of some ergonomic considerations. The overlay approach reduces friction for users who want AI assistance without context-switching to a full app, though the exclusion of Deep Research shows limits to what can be effectively crammed into an overlay interface.
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