Google Tests Major UI Overhaul for ‘Gemini’ App

As OpenAI’s social-style AI app Sora topped the U.S. App Store rankings, Google has reportedly begun testing a major redesign of its AI app Gemini’s user interface (UI).

According to a report by Android Authority on October 3 (local time), Google is experimenting with transforming Gemini’s traditional button-based home screen into a scrollable feed layout. The new structure was discovered through an analysis of the latest Android app version code and has not yet been rolled out to the public.

Replacing Buttons with “Suggested Prompts”

Currently, Gemini’s home screen features main function buttons such as Create Image and Deep Research arranged in the center. In the new version, these buttons are relocated to the top, while sample prompts appear in a feed format instead.

Examples include phrases like “Make it vintage,” “Summarize today’s news,” and “Code a simple game,” allowing users to try out features without typing manually.

This redesign appears to aim at helping users “naturally explore AI functions even if they’re unsure how to use them.” For image-related requests, Google plans to integrate its latest image generation model, Nano Banana, which supports detailed and stylistically diverse visual outputs.

Discovery Feed Strategy: Blending AI with Social Media Vibes

The UI overhaul is seen as more than just a design refresh-it signals Google’s strategic pivot toward a Discovery Feed approach for AI.

Moving away from the chatbot-centered interface, Gemini’s new design seems inspired by social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where users explore content through scrolling.

This marks a shift from “conversational tool” usage to a more “exploratory AI experience.”

Industry analysts interpret the move as Google’s response to Sora’s meteoric rise, suggesting that Gemini is being restructured with a stronger focus on user engagement and accessibility.

Google’s Countermove Against OpenAI’s ‘Sora’ Surge

As of the same day, Gemini slipped to second place on the App Store, trailing behind OpenAI’s Sora.

With Sora gaining popularity by pioneering a new category of AI-powered video-based social networking, Google appears to be countering with an innovation in user interface to enhance interactivity.

A Google spokesperson stated that there was “nothing to announce yet,” but given that internal testing is underway, the redesign is highly likely to roll out in a future official update.

By Ju-baek Shin, The Korea Metaverse Journal

jbshin@kmjournal.net