Google Tests Gemini Voice Customization with Four New Controls

Introduction

Google appears to be developing a more detailed voice customization system for Gemini. Instead of limiting users to a set of predefined voices, the planned interface may let them adjust how Gemini sounds through four separate controls: Speed, Energy, Formality, and Warmth.

The feature was discovered by 9to5Google while examining code strings in the Google app 17.41.12 beta. Because the information comes from an APK teardown rather than an official product announcement, the controls should still be treated as an experimental feature that Google may change, delay, or decide not to release.

Four Voice Characteristics May Be Adjustable

The beta code points to a new Customize section for Gemini voices. It includes four labeled characteristics:

• Speed
• Energy
• Formality
• Warmth

Speed is expected to offer three levels: slow, normal, and fast. The other three controls—Energy, Formality, and Warmth—are expected to use low, medium, and high settings.

This would give users more control over Gemini’s delivery without requiring them to switch to a completely different preset voice. A user could keep the same general voice while changing its pace or conversational style to better suit the current task.

Gemini may gain more granular controls for how its voice sounds and feels.

How the New Gemini Voice Controls Could Work

Each setting is designed to affect a different part of the listening experience.

Speed

The Speed setting would control how quickly Gemini speaks. A slower pace may be easier to follow during explanations or language practice, while a faster pace could be more convenient for short updates and routine questions.

Energy

Energy would likely influence how lively or restrained Gemini sounds. A higher setting could make the assistant feel more animated, while a lower setting may produce a calmer delivery.

Formality

Formality could help users match Gemini’s voice to the situation. A less formal style may feel more natural for travel planning or casual brainstorming, while a more formal voice could be better suited to research, work, or professional discussions.

Warmth

Warmth is expected to adjust how friendly and approachable the voice sounds. Increasing it could make everyday conversations feel more relaxed, while reducing it may result in a more neutral presentation.

These descriptions reflect the likely purpose of the controls based on their labels. Google has not yet published official documentation explaining exactly how each level will change the generated voice.

The Settings May Apply to Gemini Live and Regular Chats

According to the strings examined by 9to5Google, a customized voice should be used in both Gemini Live and the regular Gemini chat experience when responses are read aloud.

That would be consistent with Gemini’s current voice setting. Google’s existing help documentation says that the selected Gemini voice applies across Gemini Apps, including Gemini Live and other features that provide spoken responses.

The important difference is that today’s official setting focuses on choosing a voice. The experimental interface would add another layer, allowing users to adjust the behavior and delivery of that voice.

Google Is Also Exploring More Localized Voices

The reported customization controls fit Google’s broader effort to make voice interaction feel more natural and locally relevant. Google has also discussed support for regional dialects, which could make Gemini’s spoken responses feel more familiar to users in different locations.

Voice localization is not only about changing an accent. Pacing, tone, warmth, and formality can all affect whether an assistant feels comfortable to use in a particular language, culture, or setting.

A voice suitable for a formal work discussion may feel unnecessarily stiff during a casual conversation. Similarly, a highly energetic delivery may work well for brainstorming but become tiring during a long research session. More granular controls could help address those differences.

Voice Personalization Is Becoming a Competitive Feature

Google is not the only company giving users more control over an AI assistant’s voice. Apple has announced that Siri AI in iOS 27 will allow users to customize pace and expressivity.

The two approaches are similar in direction, but Google’s experimental design appears to separate voice behavior into more categories. In addition to pace, Gemini may offer direct controls for energy, formality, and warmth.

This reflects a wider shift in voice assistants. The quality of a spoken AI experience is no longer determined only by whether the assistant understands a question correctly. The way it responds—how fast it speaks, how formal it sounds, and how emotionally appropriate the delivery feels—is becoming part of the product experience.

Why More Detailed Voice Controls Matter

Voice interfaces are used in many different situations. Someone may speak with Gemini while driving, studying, planning a trip, reviewing a document, or working through a technical problem. A single fixed speaking style is unlikely to feel ideal in all of those contexts.

More detailed controls could provide several practical benefits:

1. Better accessibility: Users may choose a slower speaking pace when they need more time to process information.
2. Improved task matching: Formality and energy could be adjusted for professional work, education, or casual use.
3. More natural conversations: Warmth controls may reduce the mechanical feeling that often appears in synthetic speech.
4. Greater personal preference: Users would not need to accept the default personality attached to a preset voice.
5. Consistent spoken experiences: The same settings may carry across Gemini Live and spoken responses in standard chats.

The feature could also make voice assistants easier to use for longer conversations. Even a high-quality synthetic voice can become tiring when its pace or tone does not match the listener’s preference.

Availability and Important Limitations

Google has not officially announced the four voice controls, and there is currently no confirmed release date. Their appearance in the Google app beta indicates active development, but APK teardowns cannot guarantee that a feature will reach the public version of the app.

Google may revise the labels, change the available levels, limit the feature to selected languages, or remove it before release. Availability could also vary by account, device, region, and Gemini language settings.

For now, users can continue changing Gemini’s preset voice through the Gemini mobile app:

1. Open the Gemini app.
2. Open the menu and select the profile picture or account icon.
3. Go to Settings.
4. Select Gemini’s Voice.
5. Preview a voice and confirm the selection.

The number of available voices varies by language, and Google notes that the voice-selection option is not available in every supported language.

常见问题

What are the new Gemini voice customization controls?

The experimental interface includes Speed, Energy, Formality, and Warmth. Speed may use slow, normal, and fast levels, while the other controls may offer low, medium, and high settings.

Are the new Gemini voice controls available now?

Google has not officially launched them. They were found in the Google app 17.41.12 beta through an APK teardown, so the feature remains unconfirmed and may change before release.

Will the settings work with Gemini Live?

The discovered code suggests that the customized voice will apply to Gemini Live and regular Gemini chats with spoken responses. This has not yet been confirmed in an official Google announcement.

Can I currently change Gemini’s voice?

Yes. Google currently allows users to select a preset Gemini voice in the mobile app, although the number of options varies by language and the setting is not available everywhere.

What does the Gemini Warmth setting do?

Google has not published an official definition for the experimental control. Based on the label, it is expected to influence how friendly, approachable, or emotionally warm Gemini sounds.

Can Gemini speak more slowly?

The planned Speed control is expected to include slow, normal, and fast options. Until the feature is released, users may not have a dedicated global speed slider in the standard Gemini voice settings.

Why is Google adding more voice controls?

More granular controls could help users adapt Gemini’s spoken responses to different tasks and personal preferences. They may also make long voice conversations feel more natural and less repetitive.

Does Siri offer similar voice customization?

Apple has announced pace and expressivity controls for Siri AI in iOS 27. Gemini’s experimental system appears broader because it may also include separate settings for energy, formality, and warmth.

相关工具

• Google Gemini: Google’s AI assistant for text, voice, planning, research, and multimodal conversations.
• Gemini Live: A real-time voice conversation mode available through the Gemini experience.
• Gemini Mobile App on Google Play: The official Android app where Gemini voice settings are managed.
• Google AI Studio: Google’s browser-based environment for testing and building with Gemini models.
• Gemini-TTS: Google Cloud documentation for controllable Gemini text-to-speech generation.

Related Links

• 9to5Google APK Insight Report: The original teardown describing the four experimental voice controls.
• Google Help: Change Gemini’s Voice: Official instructions for selecting Gemini’s current preset voice.
• Google Help: Talk Naturally with Gemini Live: Official guidance for using and managing Gemini Live.
• Official Gemini Live Overview: Google’s introduction to real-time voice conversations with Gemini.
• Google Cloud Gemini-TTS Documentation: Official information about controlling pace, tone, accent, and expression in generated speech.
• Apple iOS 27 Overview: Apple’s official page describing Siri AI pace and expressivity customization.

Summary

Google is testing a more flexible Gemini voice system built around four controls: Speed, Energy, Formality, and Warmth. The feature could let users adjust how Gemini sounds without replacing the selected voice entirely.

The controls were discovered in the Google app 17.41.12 beta and are expected to affect both Gemini Live and spoken replies in regular chats. However, Google has not officially announced the feature, so its final design and release timing remain uncertain.

If released, the update would move Gemini voice personalization beyond simple voice selection and toward task-specific, user-controlled speaking styles.