Google's new Gemini features will take all the annoying busywork off your plate

Gemini on the Galaxy S26 Plus
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Daily Brief creates personalized morning digests using Gmail and Calendar data.
  • Gemini Spark is coming to macOS and will automate workflows involving local files and desktop tasks.
  • Android Halo will show live AI agent activity directly on your phone without interrupting your workflow.

Alongside the new Gemini Spark, Google also unveiled a wave of new Gemini updates focused on desktop workflows, personalized briefings, and deeper Android integration.

One of the new features is called Daily Brief, which feels very similar to Samsung's Now Brief. Think of it as a personalized morning digest powered by Gemini. Google says it works across apps like Gmail and Calendar to surface important updates, upcoming events, and actionable information in a format that's easy to skim through quickly.

According to Google, Daily Brief goes beyond simple summaries by actively organizing and prioritizing information based on your goals, while also suggesting what you should do next. Users will also be able to improve the experience over time through thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback.

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Daily Brief starts rolling out today for Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers in the U.S.

Gemini new features announced at Google I/O 2026

(Image credit: Google)

Google also recently released the Gemini app for macOS, and the company announced several upgrades for it at I/O. The macOS app will soon integrate Gemini Spark, allowing it to automate workflows involving local files and help users complete desktop tasks more efficiently.

Google is also bringing over a similar feature to Rambler that we first saw at The Android Show last week. The feature can clean up natural speech patterns like pauses, corrections, and filler words, while also turning free-flowing speech into more polished drafts automatically.

Google says the Gemini Spark integrations and the upgraded voice features will arrive for the macOS app later this summer.

Gemini new features announced at Google I/O 2026

(Image credit: Google)

The company also briefly previewed Android Halo, a new Android-level interface designed to keep users updated about ongoing AI activity. Google says Halo will surface live status updates from AI agents directly at the top of the screen, allowing users to monitor ongoing tasks without interrupting what they're currently doing.

Google already shows a Live Activity when Gemini's screen automation is running, but this feels like a much broader version of that, likely built for future AI agents beyond just Gemini.

Google says Android Halo will work with Gemini Spark and other supported AI agents later this year. The company also hinted that devices powered by Gemini Intelligence will unlock even deeper Halo capabilities, although we expect more details closer to the Pixel 11 launch later this year.


Android Central's Take

I'm not entirely sold on Daily Brief, mostly because brands like Samsung already do something similar with widgets. But Gemini getting deeper macOS integration and proper desktop workflow automation? That's the part that actually feels useful to me!

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Sanuj Bhatia
Contributor

Sanuj is a tech writer who loves exploring smartphones, tablets, and wearables. He began his journey with a Nokia Lumia and later dived deep into Android and iPhone. He's been writing about tech since 2018, with bylines at Pocketnow, Android Police, Pocket-Lint, and MakeUseOf. When he's not testing gadgets, he's either sipping chai, watching football, or playing cricket.

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