With the arrival of Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2, Google is quietly paving the way for future "computing" through its AI GeminiThe latest update adds a new “Screen automation” item to the device’s settings, which will allow apps to interact with content from other apps and perform various tasks on behalf of the user.
The feature currently only appears on devices Pixel 10 and you can find it in the menu Settings > Apps > Special app accessHere, users can choose whether a given application (for example, Google) will allow:
- Always allow
- Ask every time (default)
- Do not allow
As the official description suggests, this feature allows the application to "see and interact with the screen content of other applications, even in the background"This can be the basis for an advanced assistant that will automatically click, type or scroll in other applications – just like a human would do.
Google has previously demonstrated the project Project Astra, which showed agents able to move around in the Chrome browser or app YouTubeThese new permissions may thus be the first steps towards Gemini Live took on advanced automation on Android.
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So far, the feature only works on Pixel 10 and it's unclear whether it will extend to older models like the Pixel 9. However, if Google plans to roll out Gemini agent, it is almost certain that this feature will also appear on other phones with Android 16.
