How to Use Gemini Task Mode on Android

Gemini Task Mode lets you hand off multi-step work to the AI so it continues in the background. Google renamed the earlier Spark agent to Task and moved the controls into the main chat interface in October 2026.

You describe a goal, set a schedule or trigger if needed, and monitor progress. The feature works in the Gemini mobile app, the Mac app, and at gemini.google.com for eligible users.

This guide covers official requirements, how to start a task, manage schedules, and practical tips. Facts come from Google support pages.

Requirements for Gemini Task Mode

You must meet all of these conditions:

• Be 18 or older.
• Sign in with a personal Google Account. Work and school accounts are not supported.
• Hold a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription.
• Keep Activity turned on.
• Opt in to Personal Intelligence.

Tasks are available wherever Gemini Apps are supported, except in the European Economic Area, Nigeria, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. They run in the Gemini mobile app, the Gemini app on Mac, and the web app at gemini.google.com.

If the Task button is missing, confirm your subscription and the settings above. The interface update rolled out server-side starting mid-October 2026.

How to Start a Task

Open the Gemini app on your Android phone or go to gemini.google.com.

1. Tap or click Task above (or below) the text box. This switches from Chat mode.
2. Describe the goal in clear language. Include when it should run if you want a schedule. You can call a skill with @ or choose a model.
3. Add files if needed via Upload & tools (files, Drive, or Notebook).
4. Submit the request.
5. Watch the task thread. Gemini may pause and ask you to confirm sensitive steps, such as signing into a site.

Example prompts include a daily morning summary of email, calendar, and Drive items, or monitoring for new emails from a specific sender and drafting replies.

Gemini can use Connected Apps (Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and others), skills, Personal Intelligence, location, and web browsing (local Chrome on desktop or a remote browser). It stops for your approval on certain actions.

Schedules and Triggers

You can attach schedules to tasks:

• Time-based: Once, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Example: every day at 7 AM, review priorities.
• Gmail monitors: Trigger when an email matches a filter. Example: when a manager emails an action item, draft a reply.
• Topic monitors: Watch news, finance, sports, or local events and act on matches.

On the web, open the Scheduled page to see Active, Paused, Completed, and Suggested items. You can also manage schedules from the task thread. Ask Gemini conversationally to edit a schedule, or use the Scheduled page for time-based ones.

If you turn off Task Mode, existing schedules pause. Turning it back on resumes them. Deleting a task thread removes its schedules.

Managing and Monitoring Tasks

Open a task thread from the sidebar or history. The progress chip shows completed, current, and planned steps. Review files Gemini read or updated.

You can pause or resume schedules, give new instructions in the thread, or stop the task entirely. For browser-based steps, take over when prompted and return control afterward.

Gemini can generate files (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, images, code, and more) and place them in the thread or Canvas for editing. Export options include Drive.

In Task settings you can delete remote browser data or remote code-execution data for privacy.

Tips for Better Results

Be specific about the outcome and any constraints. Avoid entering passwords or sensitive payment details directly in the thread; take over the browser for those steps.

Start with one clear goal. Iterate by replying in the same thread. Use skills for repeated patterns so Gemini follows your preferred style.

Monitor early tasks until you trust the flow. Keep Activity on so context carries across sessions. Test schedules with a short interval first.

For related Android safety features, see our guide on Android earthquake alerts expansion.

Conclusion

Gemini Task Mode turns the app into a background agent for multi-step work. Confirm the Pro or Ultra plan, Keep Activity, and Personal Intelligence, then switch to Task and describe the job.

Use schedules for recurring checks and monitor the thread for approvals. The feature is available on Android, Mac, and the web outside restricted regions. Official help pages list the exact requirements and controls.

Sources

• Google Support, “Create & manage schedules for tasks in Gemini”: https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/17094710
• Google Support, “Manage your tasks & workflows in Gemini Apps”: https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/17094507
• 9to5Google reporting on the October 2026 interface update integrating Spark as Task.