What happened
NokiaPowerUser reports that at Google I/O 2026 Google added an "Avatar" (coded as "Likeness") entry to the Gemini web settings and is rolling that menu out globally, although the feature is not yet active while server-side activation is prepared. NokiaPowerUser reports the site-level code and menu appear live, and the publication describes a user workflow where a stored 3D likeness enables users to insert their image into generated outputs by typing @me into prompts. NokiaPowerUser also reports a major update to Google Flow that includes a native Android app and new character- and scene-building controls aimed at creators.
Technical details
Editorial analysis - technical context
Persistent likeness systems like the described "Likeness" typically require a stable asset store, a rendering or conditioning pipeline, and generation-time identity tokens or shorthand (here @me) to reapply user-specific parameters across model calls. For practitioners, integrating a persistent avatar implies additional service components: secure media storage, identity-to-asset mappings, and runtime conditioning hooks that convert the shorthand token into model prompt conditioning or image priors.
Context and significance
Public reporting places these updates within a broader trend of major AI platforms adding persistent, user-specific media artifacts to generative toolchains to speed workflows for creators. The convenience of @me-style shorthand reduces prompt engineering friction, while a native Android Flow app expands access for mobile-first content production. These moves align with other vendor efforts to bridge model UX and asset management for creators.
What to watch
observers should look for:
- •official rollout status and availability notices from Google
- •any published privacy and data-retention details for stored likeness assets
- •documentation on how @me is implemented (prompt conditioning, tokenization, or server-side merging)
- •parity between the web Gemini experience and the new Flow Android feature set. NokiaPowerUser has not quoted Google directly on rationale or timelines in its report
Key Points
- 1Gemini web surfaces a new Avatar/Likeness menu, reported as rolling out but inactive, which aims to persist user likenesses for reuse.
- 2NokiaPowerUser describes a @me workflow to inject a stored likeness into image prompts, reducing repeated reference-image uploads.
- 3Industry pattern: persistent avatars shift complexity to asset management and privacy controls, important for creators and platform engineers.
Scoring Rationale
Product-level enhancements at a major platform affect creators and developer UX but do not introduce a new model or core research advance. The changes matter for production workflows and asset management, making this a notable product update for practitioners.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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