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Gemini task mode: how to give Gemini tasks that run while you're away
Google added task mode to the Gemini app on October 13, 2026. Tap Task, describe a job and when it should run, and Gemini keeps working while you're away. Who can use it, how to start, and safe first tasks for a small business.
Take it with you. The whole thing as a PDF — no sign-up, no email required.
Download the free PDF Free pack: 20 tasks to hand Gemini + a safety checklist (PDF)What Google announced on October 13
On October 13, 2026 Google brought Gemini 4 Argon to the Gemini app for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, and added task mode: a toggle in the main chat window that switches from chat to tasks.
Google's own words: with tasks selected, Gemini "can work for you even when you're not at your computer." Google also says Gemini now connects to more than 40 apps, and names Instacart, OpenTable, Adobe and Shopify.
Who can use task mode
Google's help page lists these requirements:
- You are 18 or older.
- You use a personal Google Account. Work and school accounts are not supported for now.
- You have a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan.
- Keep Activity is on and you have opted in to Personal Intelligence.
- You are not in the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland or Nigeria. Tasks are not available there yet.
Tasks work in the Gemini mobile app, the Gemini Mac app and at gemini.google.com.
How to start a task
- Open the Gemini app, or go to gemini.google.com.
- Tap Task, right above the text box.
- Describe what you want done. You can say when it should run, call a skill with
@, or pick a model. - To add files, tap Upload & tools and choose a source.
- Tap Submit, then check the task in case Gemini asks you for something.
Example you can paste:
Every morning at 8, check my inbox and list the customers who need a reply, oldest first.Schedules: run it every day, or when something happens
Google says you can tell Gemini to run a task at a specific time or in response to an event. You can pause or resume a schedule from the task's thread (the scheduled task chip) or from the Scheduled page on the web.
Schedules for tasks are separate from scheduled actions in normal chats.
It stops and asks you first
Gemini pauses a task and hands control back to you when:
- a site needs you to sign in (you take over the browser and sign in yourself),
- it needs passwords or payment details,
- it is about to send a message, make a purchase or submit a form (it asks you to confirm).
If you stop it browsing, Gemini may try another way or give up on the task.
Your computer or Google's: local and remote browser
Local browser: Gemini uses Chrome on your desktop and can reach sites you are already signed in to. Your computer and Chrome have to stay awake. If they don't, Gemini may switch to a remote browser.
Remote browser: used on mobile. Gemini keeps working even if you close your device, and asks you to confirm before it browses for each task.
Limits and how to turn it off
- Up to 15 tasks can run at once. A schedule won't run if 15 are already running.
- Usage is based on compute and goes up with higher plans. Gemini warns you when you are close to your limit.
- To turn it off: Menu → Settings → Task settings → Turn off under "Use task mode to hand off work". That deletes remote browser and code data but keeps your tasks and files; schedules pause until you turn it back on.
Good first tasks for a small business
Our advice, not Google's: start with jobs that read and report, then add jobs that act once you trust the results.
- Inbox triage: every morning, list customers waiting on a reply.
- Quote follow-up: every Friday, list quotes sent this week with no answer.
- Price watch: tell me when a supplier's price for an item drops.
- Review watch: each Monday, summarise new reviews and draft a reply to each (you send them).
- Weekly recap: every Sunday evening, summarise next week's calendar and what to prepare.
There are 20 ready-to-paste tasks in the free prompt pack below.
Questions people also ask
What is Gemini task mode?
It is a mode in the Gemini app, added on October 13, 2026, that lets you assign Gemini a job instead of chatting. Google says Gemini can keep working on it even when you're not at your computer, and you can put tasks on a schedule.
How do I turn on task mode in Gemini?
Open the Gemini app or gemini.google.com and tap Task, right above the text box. Then describe what you want and when it should run, and tap Submit.
Is Gemini task mode free?
No. Google's help page says you need a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan, a personal Google Account, and to be 18 or older.
Can I use Gemini tasks in the UK or Europe?
Not yet. Google's help page says tasks aren't available in the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland or Nigeria.
Will Gemini buy things or send emails without asking?
Google says a task pauses for confirmation before actions like sending messages, making purchases or submitting forms, and you sign in to sites yourself.
How many Gemini tasks can run at once?
Up to 15. A scheduled task won't start if 15 tasks are already running.
Sources
- Google Blog: Gemini 4 Argon in the Gemini app, with tasks (October 13, 2026)
- Gemini Apps Help: Manage your tasks & workflows in Gemini Apps
- Google AI plans (Google One)
- SiliconANGLE: Gemini 4 Argon reaches Gemini app Pro and Ultra subscribers alongside a new tasks mode (October 13, 2026)
What Fynl.io is, and where it fits
Fynl.io is one portal a small business runs itself on, instead of five subscriptions that do not talk to each other.
The AI runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT API key. You keep the key, you pay the model provider directly, and there is no markup on top of it. There is no SMS or phone calling yet, and we would rather say so than let you find out later.
Fynl.io keeps your clients, calendar, quotes, invoices and emails in one portal, so the list Gemini hands you each morning turns into replies and booked jobs in one place, and the AI inside Fynl runs on your own Claude or ChatGPT API key, with no markup.