Gemini’s new visual guidance feature is neat, but is it something your phone can’t do without? I took it shopping to find out.
Google keeps giving Gemini more tricks on our phones, like a magician stuffing rabbits in a hat. On the Pixel 10 series, Gemini talks to apps, performs unreal voice translations, helps take better photos, and basically shows off its abilities every chance it gets. Visual guidance is also one of Gemini’s newest party tricks to debut alongside Google’s latest flagships. So last week, I grabbed my fresh-out-of-the-box Pixel 10 Pro XL and headed out for some retail therapy to put Gemini’s new feature to the ultimate test: Mall shopping. How did it go? Well, let’s just say it was a strange yet fun day.
To dodge the weekend mall chaos, I showed up at the mall ridiculously early. So early that the shop windows were still locked, and the mannequins in their summer collections looked like they had been left on guard duty. With clothes, makeup, jewelry, and shoes silently calling out to me from behind the glass, and sales reps nowhere in sight, I figured this would be the best time to whip out Gemini Live and put the new visual guidance system to the test.
But before I tell you about my experience with Gemini’s visual overlays, let me tell you how the feature works. When you share your camera feed, Gemini Live can now highlight objects by putting a white dot on them or overlaying a rectangle or square around them while dimming everything else in view. It’s basically Gemini pointing and saying: “This. This is the thing you’re looking for.” You can use visual overlays to spot the right button on a vending machine, identify a bird mid-flight, or figure out which screwdriver you need so you can pretend you know how to use one.
