Google Simplifies Gemini App's Thinking Level Picker, Adds Notification Controls

Google is rolling out a set of interface changes to the Gemini app that simplify how users select AI reasoning depth and manage notifications, according to 9to5Google.

Thinking level picker goes one-step

The Gemini app's model picker previously required a two-stage process to set "Thinking level," presenting users with two explicit options:

• Standard: Best for most questions
• Extended thinking: Complex problem solving

Google has removed the explicit "Standard" label from the picker. The interface now simply shows an "Extended thinking" toggle, turning the selection into a one-step process rather than a dropdown menu. The change is rolling out widely on both Android and the web, per 9to5Google's reporting.

This is a UI simplification rather than a change to underlying model behavior — Standard remains the default reasoning mode, but users no longer need to navigate a secondary menu to confirm it.

Notification settings arrive on Android

The Gemini app on Android is also gaining dedicated notification controls, allowing users to toggle alerts for four categories:

• Daily brief: personalized daily summaries
• Scheduled actions: updates on recurring automated tasks
• Responses: alerts for complex queries that take longer to process
• Product updates and tips: news about new features and models

These settings will live in the account menu once available. According to 9to5Google, the notification controls are not yet widely rolled out. The feature is aimed at users who currently check features like Daily Brief by manually opening the app each morning instead of relying on push alerts.

Gemini Spark reorganizes task view

Gemini Spark on Android is switching from a dropdown menu to top tabs for organizing tasks: All, Scheduled, Needs input, In progress, and Completed. The previous menu button in the top-right corner has been replaced with a magnifying glass icon for searching tasks directly.

This follows Google AI Pro subscribers gaining access to Spark last week, expanding the feature beyond its initial availability window.

What this means

None of these changes touch Gemini's underlying models or pricing — this is pure interface refinement. The thinking-level simplification suggests Google is trying to reduce friction for users who don't need to think about reasoning depth at all, nudging toward a more automatic experience similar to how OpenAI and Anthropic have moved to auto-routing between fast and reasoning modes in their consumer apps.

The notification settings and Spark task tabs point to Google treating Gemini increasingly as a persistent assistant that runs background tasks (scheduled actions, daily briefs) rather than a pure chat interface. Granular notification controls are a prerequisite for that shift — without them, users abandon or mute an app that pings them constantly. Expect more agentic, task-oriented UI investment in Gemini as Spark expands beyond its initial Google AI Pro rollout.