It’s that time of the year when Google announces the biggest and most significant changes coming to all its platforms. Google I/O 2026 kickstarted on May 19 at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, California and the theme this year was AI. While Google has been focusing on upgrading more and more products with AI-powered features in the past couple of years, this year, it was all about AI. From AI Search and more AI features in Workspace to the updated Gemini app and new AI models, including Gemini Omni, the message was clear: the AI future that everyone has been talking about is here.
In case you missed the keynote summit last night, here’s everything that was announced at I/O 2026.
Everything announced at Google I/O 2026
AI dominates Google Search
– Google Search’s AI Mode will now be powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash.
– Search’s search box will give users direct access to AI tools, which means users won’t have to select AI Mode explicitly while typing in their queries.
– Search’s search box will now dynamically expand to give users space to describe exactly what they need. It will also formulate questions with AI-powered suggestions instead of using autocomplete, which was the case until now.
– Additionally, users will be able to search across modalities, using text, images, files, videos or Chrome tabs as inputs.
– This feature is being rolled out in all the countries where AI Mode is already available, which includes India.
– Google is also bringing contextual support to AI Overview. With this users will be able to ask a follow-up question from an AI Overview, and flow into a conversational back and forth with AI Mode.
– Apart from this, Google announced Search Agents. This feature will let users create, customize and manage multiple AI agents for specific tasks with Search. The company is starting with the launch of information agents, which will operate in the background 24/7, look across everything on the web and monitor the web for changes related to users’ specific questions. These agents will then send users an intelligent, synthesized update with the ability to take actions.
– Lastly, Google is expanding Personal Intelligence in AI Mode in Google Search to more people in nearly 200 countries and territories across 98 languages.
Gemini Omni replaces Nano Banana
– Google announced the release of Gemini Omni at its event. Omini replaces Nano Banana that was announced last year and it combines Gemini’s reasoning ability with the ability to create.
– Omni can combine images, audio, video and text as input and generate high-quality cohesive videos. Users can also edit their videos using natural-language-based conversations.
– Google says Omni uses Gemini’s knowledge to connect language, imagery and meaning.
– The company has started rolling out the first model in the Omni family, that is, Gemini Omni Flash, to all Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers globally through the Gemini app and Google Flow. It is also rolling out Omni Flash at no cost to users on YouTube Shorts and YouTube Create App starting this week.
Gemini app gets an agentic revamp
– Google has redesigned the Gemini app experience, as a part of which it has introduced a new design language called Neural Expressive. This new interface features fluid animations, vibrant colors, new typography and haptic feedback.
– Google has also integrated the Gemini Live conversational experience directly into the Gemini app. Users can now switch from typing a quick question to diving into a free-flowing conversation and back again without missing a beat.
– Additionally, Google has re-engineered the mic so that users can tap and talk through a complex idea at their own pace. Soon, the company will offer support for regional dialects to the users through this updated mic.
– Neural Expressive is rolling out to users across the globe starting today across the web, Android and iOS.
– Another feature coming to the Gemini app is Daily Brief. This opt-in feature is an agent that gives users a personalized morning digest, which includes urgent updates from Gmail inbox and upcoming events from Calendar among others. It includes a skimmable brief that is prioritised based on users’ specific goals. This brief also recommends the next steps that users need to take towards those goals.
– Daily Briefs are being rolled out to Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers, starting in the US.
– Another major change coming to the Gemini app is Gemini Spark, which is a 24/7 personal AI agent that acts as an ‘active partner’ to perform tasks on users’ behalf based on their specific guidance.
– Gemini Spark runs on Gemini 3.5, which was also announced at I/O 2026, and it is being integrated with the Workspace tools like Gmail, Docs, Slides and more.
– Google says Spark keeps working in the background even when users close their laptops or lock their phones. With Spark users can set recurring tasks or triggers like automatically parse monthly credit card statements to flag new or hidden subscription fees, and create complete workflows in Workspace platforms.
Google Workspace gets AI smarts
– Google is bringing new voice capabilities to Gmail, Docs and Keep. With this users will be able to search their inbox, write a document in Docs and create a note with ideas on Keep.
– Google announced a new image generation and editing tool called Google Pics. This tool is powered by Nano Banana and it lets users perform a variety of tasks such as modify text inside a photo, translate it into different languages while maintaining the design and font style, select and edit specific elements in an image and move, resize and transform them.
– Google Pics will be available as a standalone app. It will also be integrated into Slides and Drive.
– Lastly, Google is expanding capabilities of AI Inbox in Gmail. With this update, AI will be able to generate a contextual draft of a response to an email and access Doc, Sheet and Slide files based on task being performed on screen.
Smart glasses are coming this year
– Google announced audio glasses, which it has developed in partnership with Qualcomm and Samsung, will hit the shelves this fall.
– Google has partnered with eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to bring these audio glasses to the market.
– Google’s smart audio glasses will work with both Android phones and iPhones. However, Google hasn’t shared the price and availability of this device yet.
As far as functionality goes, Google says that users will be able to access Gemini by tapping on the side of the frame or saying ‘Hey Google’. From there, users will be able to ask questions based on the world around them. For instance, they will be able to ask questions about the places around them, get turn-by-turn navigation, manage calls, send texts, have Gemini summarize missed messages without reaching for the phone and listen to music. In addition to this, users will be able to capture high-quality images and videos of their surroundings and transform them using Nano Banana, get real-time translations with audio that matches the tone and pitch of the speaker’s voice, get a translation of text on the menus, and manage other apps like Uber all using voice commands.
