Gemini’s New Feature: Detecting PDFs on Your Phone Screen

Google’s Files app with Gemini can now recognize when a PDF is on your screen, allowing you to ask questions about it.

In the latest update of the Files by Google app, Gemini can now identify when a PDF is displayed on your phone screen, providing users with the option to inquire about the file’s content, as reported by Android Police. This feature is exclusive to Gemini Advanced subscribers, as noted by Mishaal Rahman, who revealed its rollout on Friday. With this capability, users can summon Gemini while viewing a PDF in the Files app and will be presented with an ‘Ask about this PDF’ button. Tapping this button enables users to ask questions about the file, similar to how one might interact with ChatGPT. Google initially unveiled this screen-aware feature during its I/O developer conference in May. Rahman shared a screenshot demonstrating the feature in action. Additionally, Gemini supports context-aware interactions with web pages and YouTube videos. For unsupported apps or file types, the assistant can still answer questions about the screen by taking a screenshot when the user taps ‘Ask about this screen’.