The report suggests that developers may be working on future GenAI capabilities for the Android 16, which is scheduled for release in the upcoming year.
According to reports, Google is thinking of adding a Gemini-specific button to the Android lock screen. A report from Android Authority claimed that the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 update contained a symbol that could be referencing this.
On the lock screen, adjacent to a fingerprint scanner, is a pill-shaped button that is controlled by a flag in the beta version. There is a sparkle icon beneath the fingerprint scanner, which is utilized in the Gemini icon and typically indicates Generative AI features, even though the button is currently inactive.
There isn’t a hint as to how this might be connected, though. According to the source, it’s just likely that engineers are working on next GenAI capabilities on the Android 16 which is slated for release next year.
Google has been trying to get as many people to use Gemini as they can. The company declared in September that the conversational AI chatbot Gemini Live would be available in six languages to all Android users of the English Gemini app.