Google's annual I/O developer conference is always a showcase of the company's latest innovations, and 2026 was no exception. The keynote, held on May 19, 2026, was dominated by artificial intelligence, with updates spanning search, productivity apps, hardware, and new AI models. From the next generation of Gemini to smart glasses collaborations and a universal shopping cart, here are the 13 biggest announcements that came out of Google I/O 2026.

Gemini 3.5

Google launched new AI models at I/O 2026, starting with Gemini 3.5 Flash, which became the default model for the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search immediately. Gemini 3.5 Pro will follow next month. The company claims Gemini 3.5 Flash is significantly faster, better at agentic tasks, and offers improved coding capabilities, including generating richer, more interactive web UIs and graphics. Additionally, enhanced guardrails reduce the likelihood of generating harmful content or mistakenly flagging safe queries as unsafe. Alongside the model update, Google introduced a redesign of the Gemini app called "neural expressive," featuring new animations, pops of color, a new font, and haptic feedback, rolling out across web, Android, and iOS starting May 19.

Gemini Omni

Beyond Gemini 3.5, Google unveiled an entirely new family of AI models called Gemini Omni. The first model, Omni Flash, launched in the Gemini app, Google Flow, and YouTube Shorts. Unlike Google's Veo model which only converts text to video, Omni Flash can generate video clips from prompts that include text, photos, video, and audio. Google's long-term vision for Omni is to generate any type of content from any input, making it a truly multimodal AI system.

Gemini Spark

Gemini Spark is Google's answer to persistent AI agents like OpenAI's Operator. Powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash, Spark runs continuously in the background using virtual machines on Google Cloud, 24/7. It can write emails, create study guides, monitor for hidden fees, and connect to Google Workspace apps (Docs, Gmail, Sheets, Slides) as well as third-party apps like Canva and Instacart. Google plans to expand Spark's capabilities to access local files through the Gemini app on macOS, making it a powerful always-on assistant.

Build full Android apps with prompts in Google AI Studio

Google announced that users can now vibe-code entire native Android apps using prompts in AI Studio. These apps can even be published directly to the Play Store from within AI Studio. The feature includes an embedded Android emulator for previewing apps, and users can plug in their phone to install and test apps instantly. Apps can be exported to Android Studio, GitHub, or as a ZIP file. Google also noted that support for publishing apps exclusively to friends and family, as well as Firebase integrations, will come soon.

Project Aura smart glasses

Google showed an updated version of its Project Aura smart glasses, developed in collaboration with Xreal. The external compute puck has been redesigned and now includes a fingerprint sensor and a lanyard for comfortable wear. New features for Google's XR platform were demonstrated, including widgets for display glasses, Gemini integrations with Google Calendar and Google Keep, and improved Gemini performance. The Verge's Victoria Song tried the updated glasses and reported smoother interactions and more useful applications.

New Android XR glasses from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster

In addition to Project Aura, Google announced partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to launch audio-only Android XR smart glasses this fall. These glasses, similar to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, will support live translation, navigation assistance with Gemini, and notification summaries. The designs were finally revealed, showing stylish frames that blend into everyday life.

Universal cart

Google introduced a "Universal Cart" that allows users to add products from YouTube, Search, Gemini, and Gmail into a single shopping cart that works across different merchants like Nike, Target, Walmart, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Wayfair, and Shopify. Users can check out from multiple stores at once. The cart also spots potential issues, such as incompatible parts for a gaming PC, and can interpret perks and loyalty info from Google Wallet to maximize savings. It launches in Search and Gemini this summer, with YouTube and Gmail support coming later.

Gmail Live

Google expanded Gmail's search capabilities with Gmail Live, a voice-driven interface that extracts pertinent information from emails based on user queries. Instead of sifting through a list of emails, users can ask questions like "What is my hotel confirmation code?" and get a direct answer. Similar features will also be coming to Google Docs and Keep, pulling data from Google Drive and Gmail.

Google Workspace Pics app

A new Google Workspace app called Pics aims to simplify iterative AI image editing. Powered by Nano Banana 2 and Gemini, Pics allows users to click on a part of an image and leave a comment about desired edits, rather than writing a full prompt. Google plans to integrate Pics into other Workspace apps eventually, streamlining image workflows across the suite.

Agents, generative UI, and mini apps in Search

Google significantly updated the search box. It now expands to accommodate longer queries and includes AI-generated suggestions. Users can search with text, images, files, videos, and even Chrome tabs. New "information agents" provide summarized updates on topics by aggregating blogs, news, and social media posts, launching this summer for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Additionally, Search will generate visuals like simulations, interactive tables, and graphs, and even create mini apps for repetitive tasks such as event planning dashboards.

AI Ultra plan price cut

Google's premium AI Ultra subscription, originally $249.99 per month, now starts at $100 per month. A $200 per month tier includes access to Project Genie, matching OpenAI's pricing structure. This makes advanced AI models and tools more accessible to a wider audience.

AI detection tools in Chrome and Search

To help users identify AI-generated or altered images, Google expanded its SynthID watermarking and C2PA Content Credentials tools. Uploading or selecting images in Search, Google Lens, or Circle to Search now reveals provenance details. A future Chrome feature will let users circle questionable images on websites to see their origin.

AI agents for Google Beam

Google is experimenting with lifelike AI agents for its Beam video calling platform (formerly Project Starline). At I/O, a demo of "Sophie" showed an AI agent that can respond to questions, read documents held up to the camera, and look up restaurant recommendations. Google also demonstrated group calls with Beam, which will integrate with Google Meet and Zoom.

Source: The Verge News