Everything announced at the Google I/O 2026

Table of contents

1. AI and Gemini

2. Google Search

3. Google Workspace and Productivity

4. Shopping

5. YouTube

6. Android and Hardware

7. Developer Tools

8. Google Play

9. Google AI Subscription Plan Changes

Release Dates at a Glance

Google held its annual developer conference, Google I/O 2026, on May 19 and 20 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. The two-day event is where Google shares its biggest product updates and roadmap with developers and the public.

This year was almost entirely about AI. From the first minute of the keynote, CEO Sundar Pichai made it clear that Google is now building every product around Gemini, its family of AI models. The theme he kept coming back to: AI that not only answers your questions but also takes action for you.

Below is a breakdown of everything Google announced, organised by category, with a table of release dates at the end.

What is Google I/O?

Google I/O is Google’s annual developer conference. It started in 2008 and has grown into one of the biggest tech events of the year. Google uses it to show off new software, AI models, and hardware previews to developers first, before they reach the general public. This year, the keynote was watched live by tens of thousands of people around the world.

Where was it held?

Google I/O 2026 took place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, which is near Google’s main headquarters. The keynote kicked off on May 19 at 1 p.m. ET (6 p.m. BST / 7 p.m. WAT). On-demand sessions and codelabs became available on May 21.

Everything Google announced at I/O 2026

1. AI and Gemini

Gemini 3.5 Flash is now the default model

Google launched Gemini 3.5 Flash as its new default AI model across the Gemini app and AI Mode in Google Search. According to Google, it runs four times faster than comparable frontier models and costs less than half the price. It is available globally as of May 19, including in Nigeria, at no extra cost on the free tier.

Gemini 3.5 Pro is coming next month

Google confirmed that Gemini 3.5 Pro is in internal testing and will roll out in June 2026.

Gemini Omni: a model that understands text, images, audio, and video

Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis introduced Gemini Omni, a new multimodal model that accepts text, images, audio, and video and outputs video. It is available now in the Gemini app, Google Flow, and YouTube Shorts for AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers. Developer API access is coming in the next few weeks.

Gemini Spark: your AI that keeps working while your phone is locked

Pichai’s biggest announcement was Gemini Spark, a 24/7 personal AI agent that runs on Google Cloud and keeps working even when your phone is locked or your laptop is closed. It can:

• Parse your credit card statements for hidden subscriptions
• Monitor your inbox and flag deadlines from school emails
• Write up meeting notes into a Google Doc and email it out
• Draft project kickoff emails from a quick voice note

It connects to Gmail, Docs, and Workspace at launch. Third-party app support via MCP (a standard for connecting AI to apps) is coming over the summer. Gemini Spark is rolling out to US AI Ultra subscribers ($100/month) as a beta next week.

Daily Brief: your morning AI summary

A new Gemini agent called Daily Brief creates a personalised morning digest from your Gmail, Calendar, and Tasks. It is rolling out to AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers in the US starting today.

The Gemini app gets a full redesign

The Gemini app on Android, iOS, and the web has been visually overhauled. Google is calling the new look ‘Neural Expressive.’ The new design includes a pill-shaped prompt box, fluid animations, haptic feedback, and inline images and videos instead of plain text walls. Gemini Live is now inline rather than full-screen. This is rolling out globally now.

How usage limits are changing

The Gemini app is moving away from daily prompt limits. Going forward, limits will reset every five hours until you hit a weekly cap. Complex prompts, such as videos or code, will use more of your allowance than simple text questions.

Project Genie meets Street View

Google DeepMind’s Project Genie can now connect to real Google Street View imagery and let you generate an interactive virtual world built around that location. This is available today for AI Ultra subscribers on the $200/month plan, for users aged 18 and above. For now, only US Street View imagery is supported.

SynthID watermarking expands

Google is bringing AI watermark detection to Google Search and Chrome. You will be able to right-click any image and check whether it was AI-generated. Pichai said SynthID has already watermarked over 100 billion images, videos, and audio files. OpenAI, Kakao, and Eleven Labs are now adopting SynthID too.

Gemini for Science

A new set of AI research tools that connects Google’s Antigravity platform to over 30 major life-science databases. Available today on GitHub and inside Antigravity as ‘Science Skills.’

Google’s new AI chips: TPU 8t and 8i

Google announced its first dual-chip TPU generation. The 8t chip is built for large-scale AI training and delivers nearly three times the raw compute of its predecessor. The 8i chip handles inference. Both deliver up to two times better performance per watt. Google can now distribute AI training across more than one million TPUs globally.

2. Google Search

The Search box gets its biggest upgrade in 25 years

Google says the redesigned Search box is the biggest upgrade to Search in over 25 years. The box now expands as you type, predicts what you are looking for, and accepts images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs as inputs alongside text. This is live globally today, including in Nigeria.

Information agents: Search that monitors topics for you

New personalised agents will work in the background around the clock to track news, blogs, social posts, and real-time data on a topic you care about. Rolling out this summer for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Mini apps built inside Search

Search can now build custom dashboards and trackers for complex tasks, like planning a wedding or managing a home move. Coming in the next few months, for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US first.

Generative UI in Search

For complex questions, Search will now build custom dynamic layouts with interactive visuals and simulations instead of a list of links. Coming free to all users this summer.

Personal Intelligence: the Gmail and Photos connection

Google announced that Personal Intelligence, the feature that connects your Gmail and Google Photos to AI Mode in Search for more personalised answers, is rolling out to nearly 200 countries across 98 languages at no cost. However, Google’s official overview page explicitly lists Nigeria among the excluded regions, alongside the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. No timeline has been given for Nigeria’s inclusion.

3. Google Workspace and Productivity

Docs Live: talk to your documents

A new feature called Docs Live lets you create and edit Google Docs by speaking to them, with Gemini pulling in context from your Gmail, Drive, Chat, and the web. Rolling out this summer on Android and iOS for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers globally, in English.

Gmail Live: voice search for your inbox

Gmail Live lets you ask your inbox questions by voice, like ‘What is my flight gate number?’ Rolling out this summer on Android and iOS for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US first.

Voice AI in Google Keep

Ramble out loud, and Google Keep will automatically split your speech into separate, organised notes. Coming to the Keep Android app this summer for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US.

AI Inbox expands to more plans

AI Inbox, which helps you manage your email with AI, is now expanding to Google AI Plus and Pro plans.

Google Pics: AI image creation and editing

Google launched a brand new image creation and editing app called Google Pics, built on a model called Nano Banana. Every element in a photo is treated as an individually editable object. You can move a person, change the colour of a sweater, or replace a dog with a cat. Launching this summer as a standalone website for AI Ultra ($200) subscribers in the US in English.

4. Shopping

Universal Cart: one cart across Google

Google is building a shopping cart that follows you across Google Search, the Gemini app, YouTube, and Gmail. Once you add something to the cart, it monitors price drops, tracks deal history, sends restock alerts, and even flags compatibility issues (for example, it will warn you if a CPU will not fit your motherboard). It is built on Google Wallet, so it can suggest the best payment method based on your loyalty rewards.

Universal Cart is rolling out in Google Search and the Gemini app in the US this summer, with YouTube and Gmail support to follow. Launch retailers include Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart, and Wayfair.

Universal Commerce Protocol expands

Google’s open-standard checkout protocol is expanding to Canada and Australia in the coming months, then the UK, and into new categories like hotel booking and local food delivery.

Agent Payments Protocol

A new protocol called AP2 lets AI agents make payments on your behalf, with guardrails you set yourself.

5. YouTube

Ask YouTube: jump straight to the answer

A new conversational search feature inside YouTube that skips you directly to the moment in a video that answers your question. Available now at youtube.com/new for YouTube Premium subscribers in the US, with a broader US rollout coming this summer.

Gemini Omni in YouTube

Gemini Omni is now available inside YouTube Shorts Remix and the YouTube Create app.

YouTube Premium Lite bundled with AI Pro

In the coming days, Google AI Pro subscribers in select countries will get YouTube Premium Lite included in their plan at no extra cost. AI Ultra subscribers continue to get full YouTube Premium.

6. Android and Hardware

Android Halo: see your AI agent at work

The Android Halo is a new on-screen indicator that shows you the live status of AI agents like Gemini Spark as they work in the background. It appears as a glowing bar at the top of your phone screen. Coming later this year, starting with Gemini Spark.

Intelligent Eyewear: Samsung’s Android XR glasses

Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm unveiled the first Android XR smart glasses, featuring designs from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. Two versions are coming: audio glasses (launching fall 2026) and display glasses (to follow later). The glasses work with both Android phones and iPhones and will support:

• Hands-free Gemini conversations
• Turn-by-turn navigation
• Message replies and text translation in your field of view
• First-person photo and video capture

Pricing has not been disclosed. Launch countries have not been confirmed, but Africa is not on the initial list. More details are expected at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked in July 2026.

Android 17

Most of Android 17’s features were previewed at The Android Show on May 12. The stable release is expected in June 2026. Key features include:

• Gemini Intelligence is embedded at the system level, not just as an app
• Create My Widget: generate widgets with AI using a simple prompt
• Rambler in Gboard: cleans up messy voice dictation automatically
• Pause Point: interrupts mindless scrolling to prompt a break
• Default-on theft protection (Remote Lock, Theft Detection Lock) is now global
• Verified financial calls to flag bank-impersonation scam calls
• APK malware scanning in Chrome on Android
• Post-quantum cryptography and temporary, precise location sharing

Googlebook: Google’s new premium laptop

Googlebook is a brand-new category of premium AI-first laptops from Google, positioned above Chromebooks. They are built for Gemini Intelligence and come with a signature glowing bar called the ‘glowbar.’ The first Googlebooks are coming this fall (September to November 2026) from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. They run a new operating system, not yet officially named by Google, internally known as ‘Aluminium OS,’ which combines Android and ChromeOS. Pricing has not been announced.

Android Auto gets a refresh

Android Auto got a new look and new features: a Material 3 Expressive redesign, 3D Google Maps immersive navigation, video playback support, customisable widgets, and deeper Gemini integration. This was announced at The Android Show on May 12.

7. Developer Tools

Antigravity 2.0

Google’s Antigravity development platform got a standalone desktop app, a new command-line interface, and Google Cloud-level privacy settings. It was used live on stage to build a minimal operating system that runs the game Doom in under 12 hours. Available globally now.

Managed Agents in the Gemini API

Developers can now spin up a Gemini 3.5 Flash agent with a single API call. The agent can reason, use tools, and run code in an isolated environment, and it stays active across multiple calls.

Android vibe coding in Google AI Studio

Describe an Android app in plain English, and AI Studio will generate production-quality code, let you preview it in an in-browser Android emulator, and publish it directly to the Google Play Internal Test Track with one click.

Google AI Studio comes to mobile

The Google AI Studio mobile app is coming to Android. iOS pre-registration is open now.

Free first deployments on Google Cloud

New developers can deploy their first two apps to Google Cloud Run for free, with no credit card required.

8. Google Play

Ask Play: AI-powered app recommendations

A new Gemini-powered overlay in the Play Store lets you describe what you need and get summarised app and game recommendations, with support for follow-up questions. Rolling out now in English in all non-EEA markets.

Play Games Sidekick expands

The in-game AI overlay that provides tips and rewards is expanding to include social features and to roll out globally. It is now live in over 90 titles.

Gemini recommends Play Store content on the web

Gemini will start surfacing Play Store content, including around 450,000 movie and TV titles and live sports streams, outside the Play app itself. This is coming in the next few weeks.

9. Google AI Subscription Plan Changes

Google restructured its AI subscription plans at I/O. Here is what changed:

• Google AI Plus ($7.99/month): Price stays the same. Now includes Daily Brief and AI Inbox.
• Google AI Pro ($19.99/month): Price stays the same. Now includes YouTube Premium Lite in select countries.
• Google AI Ultra ($100/month) – NEW: A new mid-tier plan with five times the usage limits of Pro. Includes Gemini Spark, priority access to Gemini 3.5 Flash, and YouTube Premium Lite. Aimed at developers and knowledge workers. Available today.
• Google AI Ultra ($200/month): Price drops from $250 to $200. Includes 20 times the usage limits of Pro, Project Genie access, and full YouTube Premium. Storage drops from 30 TB to 20 TB.

Limited-time offer: new and existing AI Ultra subscribers get $100 in bonus Antigravity credits if they hit their plan quota. You need to claim it by May 25, 2026.

Release Dates at a Glance

Here are all the major announcements from Google I/O 2026, along with their availability timelines and pricing, where confirmed.