Last updated: August 7th, 2026 at 09:19 UTC+02:00
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Nothing else has changed besides the new animation.
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Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile
Gemini started replacing Google Assistant on Galaxy Watches running Wear OS last year. Now, the AI assistant is getting a new look that features a multicolor glowing animation alongside a faint dot pattern toward the bottom of the screen.
This new look is called the Glow Overlay, and it is part of Google's updated design framework, Material 3 Expressive Design. The new design started arriving on compatible Pixel Watches this week, and it is now here for Galaxy Watches as well.
Asif Iqbal Shaik / SamMobile
Gemini's new Glow Overlay animation on Wear OS
Currently, this design is visible on our Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024), and it could become available on all Galaxy Watches running the One UI 8 Watch software.
Asif Iqbal Shaik, Michel Groenheijde / SamMobile
Comparison of Gemini's new (right) and old (left) designs on Wear OS smartwatches
Google first showcased this new look during the Google I/O 2026 developer conference earlier this year, and it has now started arriving on compatible Wear OS devices. Aside from this new glowing background, not much else has changed in the Gemini app on Wear OS.
First Samsung device: T100
Asif is a computer engineer turned technology journalist. He has been using Samsung phones since 2004, and his current smartphone is the Galaxy S23 Ultra. He loves headphones, mechanical keyboards, and PC hardware. When not writing about technology, he likes watching crime and science fiction movies and TV shows.
