Updated
Updated · Android Police · May 28
Google's Gemini Gains 15-Minute Timer, Camera and Flashlight Control on Android via Utilities Toggle
Updated
Updated · Android Police · May 28

Google's Gemini Gains 15-Minute Timer, Camera and Flashlight Control on Android via Utilities Toggle

3 articles · Updated · Android Police · May 28
  • Google quietly enabled a Utilities toggle in Gemini’s Android settings, letting the assistant control hardware hands-free for tasks like flashlights, screenshots, selfies and timers.
  • The feature works after users turn on Utilities under Connected apps and can also enable lock-screen access, allowing Gemini to interact directly with local settings, permissions and notification controls.
  • Gemini can handle some multi-step requests in one command—such as setting a 15-minute timer while starting YouTube Music or toggling Wi-Fi and battery saver together.
  • The extension still has limits: it cannot reliably chain actions across apps, failing on requests like taking a selfie and sending it on WhatsApp or uploading photos to Google Photos.
  • The capability is Android-only for now, with web access confined to a browser tab and iOS blocked from deep system control by Apple’s platform restrictions.
As Gemini gains deep device control, where does Google draw the line between a helpful assistant and a privacy risk?
Is Apple’s strict security model holding back AI, or is Google's open approach creating a future privacy disaster?
As AI becomes an 'operating layer,' who is ultimately in control of your phone: you or the algorithm?