What you need to know

• Google is rolling out several smart home updates, including one for Gemini that expands its "conversational memory" to 15 minutes.
• Gemini Live arrives on first-gen Home Mini and Nest Hub devices, alongside improved Automation guidance and smart lock alerts for removed users.
• Recent updates for Google Home include Pet Memory for Gemini and Suggested Automations.

Google is rolling into the weekend with a few updates to its smart home systems that you should check your devices for.

Gemini for Home's early access is getting a few refinements this week. Google states Gemini Live is now available on first-gen speakers and displays. The patch notes list first-gen Home Mini and Nest Hubs as devices receiving Gemini Live this week. Keep in mind that only Google Home Premium subscribers can access this. On a related note, Gemini's memory is getting stronger.

Google says the AI's "conversational memory" now lasts for 15 minutes. This will be present "across the entire Gemini for Home experience." Users can follow up on something they've previously asked Gemini to do, so long as it's within those 15 minutes. Automations in the Home app will provide clearer "saving guidance." Google explains that the app will inform users if they're trying to save an automation with conditions but no starter.

Improved controls and labels for smart blinds and window coverings in Automations are included, alongside smart lock "security actions disclaimers." If users remove someone's access from their locks, the app will tell you that their passcodes "need to be changed or removed."

A July 2026 update is rolling out for Nest Cameras. This applies to the wired, third-gen Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor (wired, 2nd-gen), and the Nest Doorbell (wired, third-gen). Additionally, Google now supports more of Walmart's Onn cameras: Outdoor Plug-In and Outdoor Floodlight Hardwired. Bug fixes make up the remainder of these updates, and you can view them in full.

The Home is looking smarter

This conversational memory update for Gemini reminds us of the Continued Conversations patch from April. Asking the AI to do something is common with so many smart devices to control. What can get frustrating is having to repeat yourself to a computer. Continued Conversations aims to solve that. Google said this highly requested feature helps Gemini "remember" what's going on. It helps make the experience seamless, which is another area Google's been working on.

Gemini would keep its mic open for a few extra seconds, in case there's something to add. This memory upgrade takes this concept and expands on it. Even after Gemini closes its mic, you can still follow up, and it'll (hopefully) remember your conversation from two minutes ago. Pet Memory was another recent patch for Gemini that lets users customize how the AI recognizes their fur babies.

Instead of the generic sentences (i.e., "dog is walking in the living room), users can let the AI know the little one's name.

Google's video-generation AI models are finally getting the Nano Banana treatment. Gemini Omni powers video creation in the Gemini app and replaces Veo. Now, the Gemini Omni model is coming to the Create tab of the Google Photos app. A new Video Remix feature helps you take simple video clips and transform them into something new using Gemini Omni, all without leaving Google Photos.

I gave it a shot, and while it's not a replacement for the full Omni experience in the Gemini app, Video Remix is pretty fun to use. You select a 10-second video clip, choose a Remix template, and wait for the reimagined video to generate. The results were better than I expected, even if I wish Video Remix supported longer clips. Here's how you can try Video Remix for yourself.

What you need to get started with Video Remix

Although the Video Remix experience is powered by Gemini Omni, you won't find it in the Gemini app. Instead, you can use Video Remix in the Create tab of the Google Photos app. It lives alongside Photo Remix and Reimagine, with the key difference being that Video Remix is made for short clips. Specifically, you can select a 10-second portion of a video to change using Omni and Video Remix.

Video Remix uses the following prompt templates to shake up your clips:

• Relight my video with a morning glow
• Add doodles to my video
• Set my video in a greenhouse
• Give my video an orange sunset glow
• Add shifting laser light strobes
• Paint my video in dreamy watercolor
• Make my video look like pixel art
• Give my video a tropical sunset background
• Put my video in a gritty subway scene
• Cast a magic hour haze in my video
• Cast my video in cool blue hour tones
• My video as a stop-motion sketch
• Turn my video into a moving oil painting
• Put my video in a Mediterranean villa
• Give my video a golden hour glow

As you can see, Video Remix templates vary from offering subtle lighting changes and background swaps to completely remaking clips in selected art styles. Google says that stable and steady videos work best with Video Remix, and warns that it might not always work as expected or could include audio.

For now, Video Remix is rolling out for paid Google AI subscribers. It's available in the following countries:

• US
• Argentina
• Bangladesh
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Egypt
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• South Korea
• Turkey

If you're located in one of the above countries and have a Google AI Plus, AI Pro, or AI Ultra account, you're ready to start using Video Remix in Google Photos.

How I use Video Remix to reimagine my photos

I take a bunch of videos I rarely revisit, so I thought using Video Remix could be a fun way to play around with clips lying dormant in my Google Photos library. I had videos of dolphins from a boating trip and Meta Oakley clips from summer runs, and I used Video Remix to change them up. Here's how I did it, and how you can too:

1. Open the Google Photos app.

2. Tap Create.

3. Press Video remix.

4. Choose a template.

5. Select a video from your Photos library.

6. If your video is longer than 10 seconds, use the grab handles to select a section of the video to remix. Then, press Generate.

7. Wait for the clip to process. This may take up to two minutes. When finished, play the Video Remix output and press Save to add it to your library.

Now, you've created your first Video Remix. You can try again if the results didn't turn out as you expected, or choose a different prompt to get a new output.

Everything I made with Video Remix in Google Photos

Despite the short maximum video length, Video Remix's results were impressive. For my first test, I tried taking a POV-style video from one of my runs and turning it into a watercolor moving painting. Gemini Omni certainly nailed the effect, as you can see below.

However, the output felt too cartoonish for my liking. I tried the doodle Video Remix template next, hoping it would be more tasteful. The output was my favorite of all. It livened up a video of myself running across a bridge with sketched stars, outlines, and arrows. What was a mundane running clip turned into something ready for socials, which is the entire point of Video Remix.

For those that want an even subtler effect, there are lighting templates for Video Remix. I used the morning glow template on a video of dolphins popping out of the water, and it definitely changed the clip's appearance. See for yourself in the video below.

All told, Video Remix does what it says it'll do — unless there are human faces involved. In some cases, Video Remix won't generate a clip if it thinks there are faces of minors in the original video. This certainly makes sense for safety reasons, but it doesn't always get it right. Even when generating remixes of videos containing adult faces, the outputs don't usually match the original subject closely.

When to use Video Remix in Photos instead of Omni in Gemini

The Omni model in the Gemini app should still be your go-to for new video generations. However, for making small changes to existing clips, Video Remix in Google Photos is the better choice. I'd like to see Video Remix support longer clips and expand access to free Photos users. For now, it's still a great option for Google AI subscribers.

What you need to know

• Google shared details about a few Gemini updates, which coincide with Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked reveals.
• Google reiterates Gemini's presence on Intelligent Eyewear (Samsung collab); however, Galaxy Watch 9 users can raise their wrist to activate the AI, all without saying a word.
• Gemini Notebook is pre-installed on Samsung's new foldables, but Galaxy Z Fold 8 users can take full advantage of their multitasking capabilities, dragging and dropping content from other apps into the AI notebook.

It's Samsung's day, but Google has a few updates to offer users interested in everything revealed at Galaxy Unpacked.

Google shared a press release this morning (July 22), reiterating its recent collaboration with Samsung for Intelligent Eyewear. While the two have joined hands before (primarily for phones), these smart glasses are the next step. Google reminds us that Gemini on Intelligent Eyewear provides helpfulness in a way beyond phones. However, Google's bringing a little more to Samsung's new watch. Intelligent Eyewear is also receiving two new frames following Unpacked, which you can view below.

The Galaxy Watch 9 is receiving a little Gemini update for convenience. Google says users need only "raise their wrist," and the AI will activate. Users don't have to say "Hey Google" or "Hey Gemini." Raising your wrist opens its digital ears for your questions or tasks.

Gemini Intelligence continues its round of Galaxy Unpacked updates, as Google introduced a "task automation" expansion. This feature lets users give Gemini tasks that are rather mundane. Tasks like ordering food or items from your favorite online store. Google states task automation is expanding to more than 40 apps. What's more, this expansion gives Gemini the ability to understand what's on your screen.

If there's an item you've found, you can ask Gemini to find "something similar" on Etsy or another store, and order it for you. Users can track Gemini's progress in completing the task you've given it, as well. Google says this gives users the chance to cut in and correct anything before handing the task back to Gemini. Of course, any transactions fall solely on the user to complete.

With the Galaxy Z Flip 8's launch today, users can begin task automation on its Flex Window by long-pressing the power button.

Unpacking Gemini updates

On-device AI continues to advance with an interest in remaining useful. Google announced that Gemini Notebook (previously NotebookLM) is pre-installed on the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Fold 8. However, it's the larger sibling—the Galaxy Z Fold 8—that lets users take full advantage of the multitasking. Gemini Notebook can hold pages, videos, and more that you've found from other apps while you're searching.

Google highlights that users can have Chrome open on one side of the Fold 8 and Gemini Notebook on the other. This lets you easily drag and drop before handing off itinerary generation to Gemini. There is a chat function available. Users can chat with Gemini, asking questions about sources and more to create "high-quality" slide decks, videos, quizzes, and more.

One more thing: Samsung and Google introduced a new "native migration experience built directly into Android 17." The blog post states this lets users "transfer even more data types from an iPhone wirelessly—without downloading a separate app." Users can transfer photos, videos, contacts, messages, and calendar info. New supported data now includes your Google Account, passwords, Wi-Fi details, and eSIM. Much of this data was mentioned previously by Google's product lead for Android Onboarding and Android Settings, Paul Dunlop, when discussing what Android 17 would change for Android Switch.

Intelligent Eyewear debuted during Google I/O in May. The glasses, with frames from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, merged style with technology. Users could talk to Gemini for navigational purposes, order pickups, and photo capture. Samsung joined the discussion, stating users could pair Intelligent Eyewear with their phones for hands-free assistance.

Android Central's Take

Task automation was already an eye-catching addition when the Galaxy S26 series debuted. To see it now begin expanding to more apps is another thumbs up from me. I like when AI is useful. It's nice that it continues to walk you through its progress via on-screen notifications (even on your lock screen).

What you need to know

• Gemini in Chrome is expanding to the UK, bringing Google's AI-powered browsing assistant to more desktop users.
• The AI works directly inside Chrome, letting you summarize long articles, compare information across tabs, and complete tasks without switching apps.
• Smarter AI features are coming , including conversation memory for personalized responses and Nano Banana 2-powered image editing from simple text prompts.

Google is expanding the reach of Gemini in Chrome, with its AI-powered browsing assistant now beginning to roll out to desktop users in the UK, a significant expansion for a feature that has been limited to fewer markets thus far.

So what do you get? This isn’t some dumb chatbot tacked onto your browser. Google says Gemini in Chrome is your own personal assistant, integrated deeply into your day-to-day workflow. It’s designed to quickly summarize super dense articles or compare specs across multiple shopping tabs without you having to change screens.

Google is also tightly tying the experience into its own ecosystem. You can schedule meetings through Google Calendar, look up locations in Maps, draft emails in Gmail, and even ask questions about YouTube videos without leaving the page.

Persistent context is another addition. Gemini in Chrome can remember information from earlier conversations so it can offer more tailored responses as you move forward. Google is also adding Nano Banana 2 capabilities to the experience, allowing users to transform images found on the web with a simple text prompt, rather than having to go to a separate AI image editor.

Of course, the deeper access that an AI assistant has to your browsing also raises security questions. Google says it’s built in safeguards for the experience, including protections against known prompt injection attacks and confirmation prompts before Gemini performs sensitive actions.

Android Central's Take

It makes a lot more sense to keep AI inside the browser than to jump between tabs, apps, and chatbots. If Gemini can reliably summarize pages, compare information and deal with quick tasks without slowing me down, that’s a real productivity win for users. That said, Google still has to demonstrate that this is more than just a flashy AI demo. Browsers are cluttered enough, and the last thing anyone needs is an assistant popping up everywhere just because it can.

I use Gemini for all sorts of things on my phone, from general assistant help and smart home control to generative AI creation. The app tries to be a jack-of-all-trades, capable of creating text, images, audio, and video from simple prompts. Gemini Omni is Google's latest video-generation tool, announced at Google I/O 2026 and bundled with the June Pixel Drop.

Gemini Omni's calling card is conversational prompts. Like how you can generate images with Nano Banana from simple inputs, Google wants you to be able to do the same with Gemini Omni. I tried it on my Pixel 10 Pro, and the experience felt way more polished than any Veo model. I don't generate AI videos very often, but when I do, I'll be using Gemini Omni going forward. Here's how you can, too.

Gemini Omni is a new model designed to create videos

Open up the Gemini app and tap the model picker, and you won't see Gemini Omni. You'll find 3.1 Flash-Lite, 3.5 Flash, and 3.1 Pro (availability varies depending on your Google AI subscription), but not Gemini Omni. That's because Gemini Omni is specifically designed for video. In fact, Google's landing page for Gemini Omni says we should "think of it like Nano Banana for video."

The model you'll be using in the Gemini app is called Gemini Omni Flash, and it's also available in Google Flow and YouTube Shorts. While it's wholly focused on video for now, Gemini Omni will eventually support image and audio outputs as well. The idea is that Gemini Omni will one day be able to "create anything from any input," which is a lofty goal. This will happen "in time," according to Google, but you can start using Omni for videos today.

Another oddity about Gemini Omni is that it's highlighted as a June Pixel Drop feature, but it's available on any smartphone. Gemini Omni isn't a Google Pixel exclusive; it's limited by your Google AI subscription status. There is a free version with strict rate limits, but more availability is reserved for Google AI Plus, Google AI Pro, and Google AI Ultra subscribers.

That's good news for anyone without a Pixel — everyone can try it in the Gemini app or on the web.

How I create videos with AI using Gemini Omni

Gemini Omni is designed to support multiple inputs and conversational prompts. In other words, anyone can use it. Here's how to get started:

1. Open the Gemini app.

2. Tap the + button and select Videos.

3. Now, you'll see the Gemini Omni prompting box. Tap the bottom-left button to upload a photo or video as part of your prompt, or press the bottom-right button to choose between a Landscape or Portrait aspect ratio.

4. Next, come up with a text prompt. You can type your prompt or tap the microphone button to record an audio snippet as part of your prompt.

5. Tap the Send arrow to submit your prompt to Gemini Omni.

6. Wait for your video to generate. You may see the following message: "I'm generating your video. This could take a few minutes, so check back to see when your video is ready.

7. When your video is ready, you can hit the Share button to create a public link to it. Or you can tap the three-button menu and select Save video to download it to your device.

Now, you've created your first video with Gemini Omni. Remember, you can use any mix of text, images, audio, or video to inform your Gemini Omni prompt.

If you're not sure where to start, you can tap one of the suggestions on the Gemini Omni page. It'll tell you exactly what it needs to generate a video. For example, the Talking pets suggestion will ask you for a picture of your pet to customize the output.

Should you use Veo or Gemini Omni for videos?

Gemini Omni is replacing Veo models in the Gemini app, although you'll still be able to find Veo models in other Google products. I've used both, and my vote goes to Gemini Omni. With its broad support for inputs and easy-to-follow suggestions, it doesn't take much skill to create a fun AI video with Omni.

I made a video of my seafood dinner coming to life and jumping off the plate, and well, Gemini Omni did its job. I'm not sure how often I'll turn to Omni to generate videos with AI, but I know it's up to the task.

Gemini Live is one of Google's best AI tools to date, but it often feels more like a party trick than something you'd want to use daily. I intermittently used Gemini Live's multimodal camera and screen sharing features in situations where the extra context seemed important.

However, the basic Gemini chatbot remained my go-to AI feature for casual questions and everyday help. That all changed following a major Gemini app update that added a completely overhauled Neural Expressive user interface. Everyone is talking about the colorful and minimal Gemini app design or Gemini Daily Brief, but the feature I can't stop using following the update is Gemini Live.

Gemini Live's old voice-first user interface is gone, and in its place is a new approach that focuses on AI-generated content. It displays spoken words, generated images, and more on the screen as you go about your Gemini Live chat. You can copy, share, or export Gemini Live's responses without ending the conversation. It's the most underrated upgrade to come out of Google I/O, and I can't stop using it.

What's new about the Gemini app's UI?

The old Gemini Live experience made sense for long-running voice conversations or questions that required real-time multimodal context. It wasn't ideal for quick chats or basic questions. That's because the outgoing Gemini Live user interface took up the entire screen and didn't provide much visual value. There was a waveform graphic that moved as Gemini spoke, but you couldn't see or act upon anything it said.

The video experience was slightly better, as it displayed a viewfinder for the video stream being shared with Gemini. I've used Gemini Live's video streaming feature for everything from improving my plant health to rearranging my apartment layout. Still, these visuals were about the content you're sharing with Gemini, not the other way around.

Google's new Neural Expressive design language for Gemini Live condenses that waveform animation into a tiny pill. All the extra space is now used to highlight Gemini's responses. Like before, you can speak casually with Gemini Live and hear spoken responses uttered in real time. The difference now is that these responses will also appear on the screen, so you can read or listen to what Gemini Live has to say.

How I multitask using Gemini Live's new interface

The newfound focus on visual content enables new use cases for Gemini Live. You can ask it to generate images with Nano Banana 2, for example, and view the output immediately. The conversation remains active, allowing for follow-up tweaks and workshopping. This is something the old Gemini Live could never do.

To try it out, tap the waveform icon in the new Neural Expressive pill on the Gemini app home screen. The Gemini Live experience will begin, but you'll be kept on a tweaked version of the homepage.

Surrounding the Gemini Live animation pill, you'll see buttons for live video streaming, screen sharing, microphone mute, and exit. Get started by asking Gemini Live a question and watch the screen fill with the chatbot's answers.

This is where things get really useful. You can tap to interrupt Gemini Live, and when you do, a plain-text transcript of what the chatbot said appears — it's just like the one you'd see using the text-based Gemini version. This opens up a slew of controls and features. I can like, dislike, refresh, or copy the text of a Gemini Live response while the conversation is still going.

Previously, the old Gemini Live experience required users to end the live chat before the transcript and text controls would appear.

A response from Gemini Live can be exported to Docs, moved to a draft in Gmail, or used to branch a new chat. With the copy function, you can easily move a Gemini Live response to any other app without ending the conversation.

Gemini Live also works straight from your home screen. You can activate Live by holding down the power button or swiping up from the bottom-right corner, and tapping the Gemini Live waveform icon. The compact user interface makes even more sense for multitasking as you use your device.

As you continue to use your phone, the Gemini Live interface collapses into a tiny orb, leaving plenty of space for your content. All the while, you can still chat with Live. Tapping the circular overlay brings the buttons back, so you can share your screen, stream your camera feed, or mute your microphone. You can also hang up or mute Gemini Live from the live notification in the notification shade.

Gemini Live might be better than basic Gemini now

If I'm being honest, the main Gemini chat experience took a step backward with the Neural Expressive overhaul.

Things are harder to find, like how tools and attachments are strangely combined under a unified menu. There are no longer suggestion chips to spark ideas or help users experiment with new Gemini features. While the basic Gemini chat screen arguably became less functional, the Gemini Live experience only got more functional.

The updated version of Gemini Live lets you see text, images, and more on your screen as the voice AI helper speaks. I get almost all the benefits of using the chat experience without having to type or send off multiple queries. Now that Gemini Live is this useful, I don't see myself using anything else.

What you need to know

• Google's new Home Speaker starts at $99.99 and is the company's first smart speaker built around Gemini.
• Gemini allows natural conversations, multi-step commands, and follow-up questions without repetition.
• The speaker offers 360-degree sound and can pair with Google TV Streamer for home theater audio.

After teasing it last year, Google has officially launched its new Google Home Speaker.

Google says the new Home Speaker is the company's first smart speaker built specifically for the Gemini era. It starts at $99.99, is available for pre-order starting today, and will begin shipping on June 25. Similar to the Pixel phones, Google is offering it in four colors: Hazel, Porcelain, Jade, and Berry.

While previous Google Home and Nest speakers featured LEDs on top, the new Home Speaker comes with an underglow light ring that softly indicates when the device is listening, processing, or responding.

I actually quite like this change. It feels like Google is extending the visual identity it first introduced with Googlebook, and it wouldn't surprise me if we see similar lighting elements make their way to more Pixel products (Pixel 11 series, for example) later this year.

As for features, this speaker is built around Gemini from the ground up. Unlike older Google Assistant speakers, it is designed to understand more natural conversations and complex requests. Users can issue multiple commands at once, correct themselves mid-sentence, and ask follow-up questions without needing to repeat wake words or specific commands.

For example, users can ask Gemini to "turn off all the lights except for my bedside lamp" or combine several actions into a single request, such as dimming the lights, starting music, and setting a timer simultaneously. The assistant can also maintain conversational context, allowing follow-up questions without you having to say the wake phrase again and again.

Google is also bringing several premium Gemini-powered features through Google Home Premium. These include Gemini Live for conversational interactions, Camera History Search for Nest cameras, and Home Briefs, which summarize activity around your home while you're away.

Google is including six months of Google Home Premium free for anyone who purchases a Home Speaker before September 30.

Beyond AI, Google says it has also focused heavily on audio quality. The Home Speaker delivers balanced 360-degree sound and, compared to the Nest Mini, features a driver that's up to twice as large along with 2.5 times stronger bass. Google has also upgraded microphone processing to improve voice recognition in noisy environments.

The speaker can also pair with a Google TV Streamer, and users can connect up to two Home Speakers together for a surround-sound-style home theater setup. We'll be going hands-on with the new Google Home Speaker very soon, so stay tuned for our full impressions.

Android Central's Take

I love how Google is calling this its first audio device built for Gemini. The wording itself suggests the company isn't treating this as a one-off product, but rather the beginning of a broader Gemini-powered smart home lineup.

Now all I need is a Gemini-powered Nest Hub with a screen.

What you need to know

• Google has launched a major legal offensive against the alleged China-based "Outsider Enterprise" network for using Gemini AI to power large-scale phishing scams.
• The company is teaming up with the FBI and major carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon to stop scam texts before they reach users.
• Investigators linked the operation to more than 9,000 fake websites and over one million malicious URLs, with millions of scam messages targeting Android users.

AI tools are making everyday tasks easier, but they’re also enabling cybercriminals to scale their attacks. Google says the line has been crossed sufficiently that legal action is in order.

The company has revealed a coordinated takedown of the alleged China-based cybercrime network called “Outsider Enterprise,” accusing the group of using Google’s own Gemini AI and other services to fuel a massive phishing operation. Besides the lawsuit, Google said it is working with the FBI and major U.S. carriers, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, to disrupt the campaign and block scam messages before they reach users.

Google said the network sold phishing kits on Telegram that allowed even low-skilled criminals to run fake text message campaigns that mimicked trusted brands. The operation is said to have made fake versions of services from Google and YouTube to government entities, including the U.S. Postal Service and New York's E-ZPass toll system.

This wasn't amateur hour

Google says the scale of the attack was massive. The company traced the group to over 9,000 phony websites and over a million scam URLs. Within two weeks, almost 55,000 spam texts were reported by Android users, and 2.5 million messages with malicious links were sent to Android devices. The company estimates hundreds of thousands of people have been impacted, and the financial losses are in the millions of dollars.

Court filings have even more details. The “Outsider” phishing platform had more than 290 ready-made templates for websites that could impersonate banks, retailers, telecom providers and government agencies in a matter of minutes, Google says. The service allegedly used AI-generated codes and was selling subscriptions for as little as $88 per week, making phishing a plug-and-play business.

The FBI says the use of AI is making scams harder to detect, and Google says existing laws need to catch up. The company is supporting seven bipartisan bills to help fight AI-driven fraud and strengthen consumer protections. Google’s general counsel Halima DeLaine Prado said the lawsuit was the company’s first coordinated legal effort of this magnitude.

Google says the legal action is just part of its response. The company already deploys AI-powered defenses across Android and Google Messages, saying its systems block more than 10 billion malicious messages a month.

Android Central's Take

I applaud Google’s hard line on AI-based scams because the biggest winners are everyday consumers who want to text, shop, and browse without the additional headache of more and more convincing fraud attempts. While AI may be making security tools smarter, it is also lowering the bar for bad actors who would have struggled to pull off these schemes just a few years ago. It’s kind of crazy, honestly, that tech designed to make us more productive is also being used to spit out fake toll notices and delivery alerts. I think if AI companies are going to keep racing ahead with new tools, they need to accept that cleaning up the mess shouldn’t become the user’s problem.

What you need to know

• Apple's upgraded Siri and Apple Intelligence features are indirectly powered by Google's Gemini technology.
• Apple says all AI requests run on-device or through Private Cloud Compute without sharing user data.
• Apple Foundation Models are trained by Apple but refined using techniques from Gemini frontier models.

Apple's upgraded Siri AI stole the spotlight at WWDC today, and it turns out Google Gemini is playing a bigger role behind the scenes than expected.

Earlier this year, Apple announced that it was partnering with Google to leverage Gemini's capabilities, and today we finally saw the first major result of that collaboration. Apple introduced a number of new Apple Intelligence features across its ecosystem, including a much more capable Siri, improved dictation, and even small and thoughtful features like the ability to create Shortcuts using natural language prompts.

On its website, Apple says these new experiences are powered by its own Apple Foundation Models. However, those models were developed in collaboration with Google and Gemini.

Apple also emphasizes that the models run on-device whenever possible, and when cloud processing is required, requests are handled through the company's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. According to Apple, that means user data isn't shared with either Google or Apple itself.

Apple later clarified that iOS 27 doesn't directly use Gemini apps or Google's client-side code to power these features (via 9to5Mac).

That said, Apple's AI chief, Subramanya, explained that the new Apple Intelligence experience is built on four Apple Foundation Models, or AFMs. At the base level is AFM Core, which is somewhat similar to Gemini Nano and handles on-device AI tasks.

Above that sits AFM Core Advanced, which adds multimodal capabilities. On the cloud side, Apple uses AFM Cloud and AFM Cloud Image models for more demanding requests.

Apple says these models are trained on the company's own proprietary datasets but are refined using techniques derived from Gemini's frontier models.

All things considered, while Apple is understandably positioning Apple Intelligence as its own AI tech, it's pretty clear that Google's Gemini models played a significant role in helping Apple get there.

How good the actual implementation ends up being is a completely different question, though. We'll have to spend more time with iOS 27 before making that call.

What you need to know

• Google is preparing Rambler for Gboard, its new AI-powered voice typing feature announced with Android 17.
• Rambler can understand natural speech, remove filler words, and even detect self-corrections while dictating.
• A hidden Rambler toggle has appeared in the latest Gboard beta, hinting that rollout preparations are underway.

It looks like Google is getting ready to roll out the Rambler feature for Gboard.

Last month, we got our first look at many of the features coming with Android 17. Alongside the new 3D emojis and several Gemini Intelligence-powered features, Google also announced a feature called Rambler, and it now looks like the company is preparing for its rollout.

For those who don't remember, Rambler is essentially Google's answer to apps like Wispr Flow. It's an AI-powered voice typing feature that understands natural speech patterns, context, and complex words while automatically removing filler words like 'umm' and 'ahh' from transcriptions. It can even detect when you're correcting yourself mid-sentence and update the text on the fly.

It's one of the flagship features tied to Gemini Intelligence and is expected to bring much more advanced on-device dictation capabilities to Android phones. And now it appears Google has started laying the groundwork for its arrival.

As spotted by Android Authority, the latest Gboard beta contains a hidden voice typing settings page. The new menu includes options to enable or disable Rambler as well as control voice typing more broadly. The toggles don't actually do anything yet, but their presence suggests Google is actively integrating the feature behind the scenes.

Right now, there's still no official timeline for the rollout. Google hasn't confirmed when Rambler will arrive, but it wouldn't be surprising to see it appear in a future Android 17 beta build before launching more broadly later this summer alongside the stable release.

If Rambler ends up being tied to Gemini Intelligence, there's also a good chance it will initially remain exclusive to a handful of flagship Android phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or the Pixel 10 series initially.

Android Central's Take

Rambler is probably the Gemini Intelligence feature I'm most excited about. I've been using Wispr Flow on my Mac for months now, and I can't wait to use the same natural voice typing experience on my Pixel 10 Pro.

What you need to know

• Google's rolling out an early smart home update to users, adding personalization to its camera AI, called "Pet Memory."
• Through Ask Home, users can make sure the AI knows their pet's name and type, so when it alerts them, it's more accurate and specific.
• This update also expands Home Brief to several more "support markets," while Gemini for Home voice assistance heads to Germany.

Consistency has been the name of the game for Google Home, and there's another round of updates headed to users this week.

As usual, Google shared its release notes in its Nest community, highlighting the three major updates it's bringing to users. Kicking things off is another camera AI feature called "Pet Memory." Leaving the house for extended periods with a dog or a cat at home can feel daunting, but Google says it's personalizing how your cameras perceive your pets. As the name implies, Pet Memory allows your cameras to "remember key details about your pets."

As an example, your camera would say, "Bandit is in the living room right now." Google says this small, but personal change will replace the stiff "a dog is walking..." statement. If you're interested, the patch notes state users can personalize their camera's Pet Memory by heading into Ask Home. Users can "share their pet's name and type" with the AI, so the next time they cross the camera's FOV (field of view), its statement is accurate.

Elsewhere, Google is expanding Home Brief to more "supported markets." Users can find a comprehensive list of all supported countries joining the U.S. for Home Brief. This feature lets users ask their smart home AI via voice to search through live videos. "Broad summaries" of the day are also possible with Home Brief.

Another expansion comes to users in Germany, as Google brings in Gemini for Home voice assistant.

Keeping the momentum

It's only been a week since Google Home improved camera events to the point that they could become automations. Our smart home cameras keep a watchful eye, but there are some occurrences that happen pretty frequently. In this scenario, users can take a look at what their cameras have seen and create an automation based on that event. This is useful for deliveries, pests in the yard, and more.

This update also brought faster response times for common requests given to Gemini, alongside media control updates. Ask Home made the news recently, too. Public Preview users can now access Ask Home on the Web. From your computer, users can check "camera history, devices, or create new automations."

Every day after I wake up and make tea, I hop back in bed and catch up on emails, messages, and usually give myself 20-30 minutes to play some games before I dive into the day's activities. While I don't usually like to spend too much time on my phone first thing, some days I'm more inundated with tasks than others. That is, until one day when Gemini Daily Brief showed up in my notifications.

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of AI summaries or information encapsulation. Gemini and other AI agents are cool, but they get a lot wrong and it makes me generally want to ignore their existence. But Gemini Daily Brief has been surprisingly different, and it's because of how Google surfaces calendar entries, emails, and other to-dos in an incredibly efficient way.

Daily Brief is one of the latest experiments Google is running in an effort to get its users more comfortable with using Gemini regularly, and if future attempts are as well thought out as this one, there's a very real chance my opinion and usage of Gemini will change in a big way. It's also a great way for the company to make its paid Gemini services feel more valuable, as Daily Brief is currently only available for people with a Google AI Plus, Pro, or Ultra subscription.

What makes Gemini Daily Brief special

Samsung and Google have both experimented with "daily briefing"-style apps on their phones over the past two years. Samsung's Now Brief, for instance, pulls from sources on your phone, such as the Samsung Health app, your calendar, Digital Wellbeing, and more. While those are all fine, I've never found consolidating these sources in a single place useful. Google even got rid of Daily Hub after poor user feedback, and it looks like the company took everything it learned from these mediocre attempts and turned it into something far more useful with Gemini Daily Brief.

Meanwhile, Google's latest Gemini updates have mainly revolved around organizing the oodles of personal information you already have stored on the company's servers. From email to to-do lists, chats, documents, photos, and searches, most of us rely on Google for a significant portion of our Internet usage, so it makes sense that the company's personal AI assistant (Gemini) should be able to tap into those sources to deliver a more personal web.

So while my Daily Brief might show me the latest emails, my newest published articles and YouTube videos, as well as actionable information for each of those tasks, yours will likely look quite a bit different. Google provides this list as a few examples:

• For students: Manage class schedules, organize study plans, and track applications.
• For entrepreneurs: Surface actionable client emails and update task reminders.
• For parents: Manage school communications, track family milestones, and handle household tasks.
• For job seekers: Quickly act on recruiter inquiries, prepare for interviews, and monitor application statuses.

This deeply personal, customizable nature makes it feel like Gemini understands you and your needs. The most impressive part is that I didn't have to configure anything to get it to personalize my Daily Brief like this. It just appeared, and it felt like the first time Gemini was more than just a ChatGPT prompt clone.

As I mentioned previously, Daily Brief is only available for paid Google AI subscribers. In addition to that, you'll need to enable Personal Intelligence, then connect Gemini to Google Workspace and also enable the Gemini Memory feature.

How does Gemini Daily Brief work?

Every day, Gemini Daily Brief will generate a notification in the morning that you can click to pull up the report. Daily Brief is technically "just" a Gemini chat, not a separate app or email, but it can be accessed at any time in the Gemini app. Here's how to see it manually:

1. Open the Gemini app on your phone. It should be an icon in your app drawer.

2. In the Gemini app, tap the hamburger menu in the top left corner, then tap Daily Brief.

It's surprisingly simple to find, and the cool part is that you can perform more actions on each of the bullet points Daily Brief creates.

At the bottom of each item, click the three-dot menu to reveal additional actions. You can mark each task as complete (if applicable) or start a chat with Gemini about that specific item. This section also shows each item's source, so you can figure out where that one weird item might have come from.

Many items have additional actions, usually shown with a contextual button at the end of the item. For instance, you might have an upcoming meeting about an important product update, and Gemini may suggest brainstorming presentation ideas. Tapping that button will create a new chat with a list of actionable items, generally including several sections with different ideas.

The bottom of this chat gives you the ability to branch specific ideas into another new chat, export the whole chat to a Google Doc, draft it in Gmail, and more.

You can also use the buttons at the bottom to provide feedback, which should improve future chats and ideas from Gemini. If it's more convenient, you can also tap the speaker button at the bottom of the chat to have Gemini read out the whole list of ideas.

I've had a lot of success feeling more organized at the beginning of my day thanks to Gemini Daily Brief, and I love how easy it is not only to view the report at any time but also to get more information on specific items when I need it. Give it a try! I'm willing to bet you're going to love it, too.

What you need to know

• Google is capping how much quota a single Gemini prompt can consume after user complaints.
• Failed Gemini requests will no longer count against your usage limits or available quota.
• Google will add detailed usage breakdowns so users can better understand quota consumption.

After users started complaining about Gemini's new usage limits, Google has now announced that it's making changes based on that feedback.

One of the bigger announcements from Google I/O 2026 was the shift away from fixed message limits toward a new compute-based usage system. Under the new setup, Gemini usage is capped within rolling five-hour windows, alongside a broader weekly usage limit.

However, users quickly started complaining on Reddit and X that they were hitting those limits much sooner than expected. One user claimed they exhausted a significant portion of their quota with a single prompt, while another reported hitting the limit while asking Gemini Omni to generate a video before the request had even finished processing.

Google has now confirmed that it is adjusting the system. In a post, Gemini lead Josh Woodward said the company is now "capping the amount of quota a single prompt can use so you get more out of the Pro model."

Woodward also clarified that users won't be charged quota for failed requests. According to him, only successfully completed requests will count toward usage limits, meaning errors and failed generations shouldn't consume any of your allowance.

He also acknowledged that heavier tasks, particularly things like Deep Research, require significantly more compute resources. To make this clearer, Google says it will introduce more detailed usage breakdowns and notifications so users can better understand where their quota is going.

Google is also making another small but welcome change. Gemini will now remember which model you prefer to use across sessions. As Woodward explained, once you select a model, Gemini will continue using it unless you manually switch models or hit a usage cap that forces an automatic fallback to a lighter model.

Splitwise is probably the most popular shared expense tracking and splitting app. Instead of paying for the pro version of Splitwise, why not achieve the same results for free with Gemini?

Almost every Android phone comes with Gemini onboard, and those that don't — as well as iOS devices — can install the app for free. With the right set of prompts, you can get accurate results and data sheets, just like a dedicated expense tracking and splitting app would.

Let me show you how to do that.

Here's how you can use Gemini to track and split shared expenses

Giving the right prompt is the most important factor when using Gemini. The second most important thing is giving proper information and in as much detail as possible.

Start off by opening the Gemini app on your smartphone, tablet, or device of choice. You can use the regular Gemini Flash model for this scenario. Next, prime Gemini for the task by giving it the necessary instructions. Here's what you need to mention:

• What you want Gemini to do
• How many people are involved and who are they
• How the expenses are to be split
• The currency of the expenses
• The date of each expense and who paid for it

You can use my prompt if you like, but please alter it to suit your situation.

Sample prompt for Gemini: "Help me track and split group expenses. I, Namerah, am going to a three-day island getaway trip with five other people. Their names are Emma, Madison, Ally, Sarah, and Randy. All expenses are to be split evenly between us. With each entry, I want you to tell me who owes who. All expenses are in MYR. I paid RM150 for fuel, Ally paid RM435 for the car rental, and Sarah paid RM4,500 for the hotel on 26 May. What is the current tally for each person?"

I was incredibly impressed with Gemini's response, and how quick it was. Here are screenshots of my Gemini app to give you an idea of what to expect.

You get in-depth analytics and it even asks if you want to add more expenses in the end. The tables can even be exported to Google Docs or Sheets.

Gemini did exactly what Splitwise does for you, as I discovered. But because there's no limit to how many expenses you can add per day, this is even better! Even the free, unpaid version of Gemini can perform this task for you.

After this, you can continue adding expenses, and you can take it as far and make it as complex as you like. For instance, lets say Ally paid RM58 and this expense is only to be shared between them, Randy, and Madison. You can tell Gemini this and it will split out new tallies. Or lets say Randy is to pay 65% of this bill, you can also tell Gemini this and it will do the math for you.

Once Gemini Spark launches, its going to become even more convenient to track and share expenses

Google showed off the agentic Gemini Spark agent at the Google I/O 2026 event. Once Spark arrives in our hands, tasks like tracking expenses will become even easier. Google says that user will be able to grant Spark access to apps, even though it will remain fully in the control of the user. This means that before you even open the Gemini app to log an expense, the agentic AI will already have it covered for you, should you tell it to do so.

Imagine having a virtual butler that lives in your phone and performs tasks on your behalf, with your permission, intuitively. That's what Gemini Spark is proposed to be. I'll definitely test this expense sharing hack with Spark once it launches to see whether we can achieve this in reality.

Until then, enjoy using your basic Gemini app to track and split shared group expenses. Of course, logging each expense and information like who paid for what, how much, and which persons are splitting said bill, can be rather tedious work. Until Spark arrives, you have to continue to do log this info manually.

What you need to know

• Google detailed a late May update rolling for Gemini for Home and its Home app.
• Cameras are getting another significant update, which lets users create automations based on what their camera has seen.
• In the app, Google is refining media controls, improving Gemini's speed for common commands, and it's ability to take action on a single command with several tasks.

Google Home users have been receiving consistent updates for weeks now, and the end of May is no different, as the latest adds a major upgrade for cameras.

Gemini for Home is a major part of Google's vision for its smart home environment. This week, the company shared details about an update that's rolling out, which brings a major "visual insights" feature for your connected cameras. Google has made cameras smarter with its AI, capable of "seeing" or "understanding" what they see. Now, users can create automations based on what their cameras see.

Using written descriptors, users can design automations and select which camera needs to adhere to them. Google states users can create automations for Amazon deliveries, children arriving home, car doors left open, and more. What's more, users can get specific when referring to people by mentioning their name; however, you must enable Familiar Faces for this to work.

On the flip side, Google is solving a few issues and hitches with its AI during vocal responses. The patch notes this week state that users asking Gemini a question while playing music can say "stop" without interrupting their playlist. Apple Music support has returned, and the Bluetooth Pairing systems have been enhanced. Users can say "pair Bluetooth" for speakers or their phone.

Voice assistance continues to be a focus for Google. The notes state that Gemini will be able to take action for "casual language" commands, such as "set brightness to zero" or "make the living room a little warmer" for lights and thermostats. Frequently used commands with Gemini should feel a little faster. Moreover, Google has again increased Gemini's capability to take action on a single command with multiple tasks.

Gemini's tracking abilities for timers/alarms have been improved, and users should also find "more complete answers" when asking questions about sports, general knowledge, and the weather.

TLC for the app

Familiar Faces is getting a UI refresh this week. Google states the UI should now better inform you of suggested names. The company's smart home widgets for devices now sport "improved responsiveness" when controlling smart plugs and lights. Users can find a faster way to update their Voice Match in settings, while a fix rolls in for Wear OS, bringing back "name and reordering options for easier favorites management from your wrist."

A week ago, Google announced that it's expanding Gemini for Home, opening access to carriers and hardware makers. A key highlight was "Gemini built-in." Google partners creating hardware for consumers can easily leverage Gemini's capabilities without having to worry about the hard stuff (the research). These makers can easily integrate Gemini into their speakers and cameras.

What's more, Google said it was bringing its Home Premium plan to ISPs, carriers, and security companies.

Circle to Search grew to become one of Android's most essential features. Unlike other Google AI tools, Circle to Search isn't held back by system requirements or exclusivity. It's available on basically every Android phone running the latest software. In fact, Circle to Search is also available on iPhones via the Google and Chrome apps. Initially touted as a way to identify and search the content on your Android phone screen by searching it, the Circle to Search tool can now do much more than that.

One of the feature's more underrated capabilities is its ability to recognize music. Similar to third-party apps like Shazam, Circle to Search can identify songs playing in your environment. It can even detect and recognize songs playing directly from your device, or name the song you can only hum with basic chords. Here are the three ways to name that song using Circle to Search you probably haven't tried before.

Recognize songs playing on your device

The oval-shaped Circle to Search user interface now includes quite a few functions. As a refresher, touch and hold the navigation bar on your Android phone to surface it. Then, you'll have a search bar, a dictation button, a music note button, and a translation button. You can also tap or circle any area of your screen to search it. For this exercise, we're focusing on that music note.

Tapping the music note button lets you instantly identify songs using Google Search. However, you might not know that Circle to Search can also recognize music playing from your device. If you're hearing a song you don't recognize in a streaming or social app, you can activate Circle to Search and ask it to identify the name of the artist in that track.

Hum a song to identify it

More specifically, tapping the music note in Circle to Search surfaces a screen that tells you to Play, sing, or hum a song. That's right — you can sing or hum along to a song that's stuck in your head, and Circle to Search will try to figure out the name and artist. We've all had a song that we can't get out of our minds, yet somehow we can't remember a single thing about it or even just one lyric. This Circle to Search mode is the perfect solution.

Instead of using a Google Search query to try (and probably fail) to describe the song running around in your brain, just sing or hum along to the beat for Circle to Search. It works better than you think. I hummed along to the chords of AC/DC's Highway to Hell and Circle to Search figured out the name in a few seconds.

Recognize songs playing around you

Finally, you can still use Circle to Search to simply identify songs playing in your environment. If you hear a song playing in a cafe or restaurant that you like, tap the navigation bar to launch Circle to Search, press the music note, and wait for the magic to happen. It usually only takes a few seconds, and you'll see a Google Search page open with the artist and track name you were looking for.

With the page open, you can read the song's lyrics, play the track on YouTube, or learn more about the artist. It's much simpler than using Gemini or a third-party song recognition service like Shazam. Since only Pixels have access to the fan-favorite Now Playing app, Circle to Search is a great alternative for every Android user.

Circle to Search is one of my favorite Android features due to its versatility. It can use Google Lens to search the web for what's on your screen, scan QR codes and read barcodes, translate languages, and even identify songs. If you're only using Circle to Search for reverse image searches, you're missing out — it's so much more powerful than that.

The Google Home and Nest ecosystems are excellent for building a capable, automated smart home, but automations are necessary to master them. Automations are simply preset commands that trigger actions when certain conditions are met. For example, instead of using your voice to tell Google to turn on the lights at sunset, an automation can execute that command at sunset daily without you having to lift a finger.

However, the process for building automations in the Google Home app might seem daunting at first. There are so many options, and the more smart home devices you own, the more options you'll see. Luckily, Google redesigned the automations editor in the Home app, and it's easier than ever to use. You can create your own smart home automations from scratch or use Gemini to generate them using AI. Whichever way you prefer, this is how to do it.

What's new about building automations in the Home app?

Google has been rebuilding the Home app from the ground up to fit the Gemini era for a while now. It first redesigned the UI and introduced Google Home Premium, a new AI-powered smart home subscription that replaced Nest Aware. Now, Google has a new automations editor. It gives the editor a facelift while adding new automation elements.

For example, there's expanded support for Security & Access control. You can add automation building blocks for arming or disarming security systems, door lock monitoring, and status-based starters for binary sensors. Additionally, you get better appliance support, such as start, stop, pause, and resume actions. Switches can now be used to trigger initial presses, long presses, and release events as starters. Robot vacuums can be instructed to dock, pause, or resume as part of an automation.

It's a big update with a new look and even better functional upgrades. If you haven't tried Google Home automations yet, now is the time to give them a shot.

How to build automations in the Home app

Your Google Home will work fine without any custom automations, but automations are what make your smart home truly feel "smart." With the redesigned automations editor in the Home app, it's easier than ever to start automating your smart home. You can either build them from scratch yourself or have Gemini create them for you. Here's how to get started.

1. Open the Google Home app. If you have more than one household, select the one you want to automate.

2. Switch to the Automations page to view all your current automations. Then, tap the + at the top of your screen to create a new one.

3. Press Automation in the list.

4. Now, you're greeted with the new Automation editor in the Google Home app. You can add a name and a description, then start building your automation with Starters, Conditions, and Actions.

5. Starters are a crucial part of your automation. They determine what will trigger the automation. You can choose a Device, Presence, "Hey Google", or Schedule as the starter for the automation.

6. Nest, move to Conditions. These are optional requirements that must be met for the automation to run, in addition to the Starter. You can set conditions using Presence, Date, Time, or a Device.

7. Finally, you need Actions. These dictate what the automation will do. You can select Broadcast, Device, Notify, Time Delay, or Ask Google as Actions.

8. When you're finished, tap Save to activate the automation.

Each type of Starter, Condition, or Action has a variety of options based on the smart devices in your home. If you only have smart lights, you won't be able to use the same building blocks as someone with Nest cameras, for instance. If you're overwhelmed by the automation builder, read on to learn how to create automations instantly with Gemini.

How Gemini can help you make smarter automations

Gemini offers a Help me create mode in the Google Home app. The way it works is simple — describe the automation you want to build, and Gemini will create it for you. You'll still have the option to manually edit or delete it before saving. It's a simpler way to build automations than using the manual blocks. You can take Gemini's suggestions or use them as a starting point for further refining your automation.

Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Google Home app. If you have more than one household, select the one you want to automate.

2. Switch to the Automations page to view all your current automations. Then, tap the + at the top of your screen to create a new one.

3. Press Automation in the list.

4. Now, you'll again see the new Automation editor in the Google Home app. This time, tap Help me create to start using Gemini.

5. Tap Describe what you want your home to do to give Gemini a natural-language prompt telling it what you want from your automation.

6. Alternatively, tap one of the suggestion chips to try having Gemini create a pre-generated automation.

7. After using dictation or typing to enter a prompt, hit the Send icon.

8. When Gemini creates your automation, either press Ask again or Continue.

9. Now, you'll see a preview of your AI-generated automation. You can add or edit the Starters, Conditions, or Actions. When finished, hit Save to finalize and activate the automation.

You now have a working automation created with Gemini, and you can repeat the process for any other automations your smart home needs.

Why you should use automations in Google Home

Automations take the burden off your shoulders of remembering to manually give your smart home commands. They start actions automatically based on pre-set conditions, saving you time and effort.

Now that the Google Home app supports more versatile automations, your smart home actions can be automated in new ways. With Gemini, AI can do the heavy lifting of building automations.

What you need to know

• Students booed ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt during a graduation speech focused heavily on AI.
• Schmidt defended AI as the future, but many students clearly view it as a job threat.
• The viral moment highlights growing distrust toward AI among younger people entering the workforce.

AI might be on everyone's mind at Google (and I/O 2026 made that clearer than ever), but Silicon Valley still seems to be missing how a lot of regular people actually feel about it. That includes students, who now seem genuinely terrified of AI and even booed ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt over it during a recent graduation speech.

During a graduation ceremony at the University of Arizona, where Schmidt was invited to speak, he started talking about artificial intelligence and its impact on the future. But the moment he brought up AI, he was met with loud boos from students in the crowd.

Schmidt began by mentioning how Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2025 recognized the architects behind AI. As soon as he made that point, the crowd reacted loudly. He then continued by saying that society is "standing on the edge of another technological transformation that will be larger, faster, and more consequential than before."

That statement also drew boos from the audience. Schmidt acknowledged that students are entering a much more difficult job market heavily impacted by AI and said that the fear surrounding the technology is rational. But even then, the crowd clearly wasn't buying into the optimistic Silicon Valley pitch.

The former Google CEO continued defending AI throughout the speech, arguing that the technology will eventually become one of the defining tools of the next generation. "The question is not whether AI will shape the world. It will," Schmidt added. "The question is whether you will have shaped artificial intelligence."

The moment quickly went viral online because it highlighted something the tech industry increasingly seems disconnected from: younger people don't necessarily view AI the same way tech executives do anymore.

For companies like Google, AI is still being framed as the next major productivity revolution. But for students graduating into today's job market, AI feels a lot less exciting.

We're already seeing thousands of layoffs every month across industries, and for many younger people, AI now feels more like a threat to stability than anything.

Android Central's Take

Wow. Just wow. As someone whose own job feels increasingly at risk because of AI, I completely understand where these students are coming from. I don't think Schmidt's comments were technically wrong — in fact, I believe we all are probably still in the denial phase about how much AI will change things — but there's definitely a better way to frame that conversation to students about to enter an already brutal job market.

What you need to know

• Google announced that it's opening Gemini for Home's doors to service providers, hardware makers, and more.
• A major highlight is its new Gemini built-in program, which targets partners who are creating hardware for consumers, so they can leverage Gemini's capabilities for their speakers and cameras.
• Google is also integrating its Home Premium subscription with carriers, ISPs, and security companies.

I/O has given us a lot to go over this week; however, Google's smart home sector isn't quite done, as it announces a major step for Gemini.

Google states in a press release that it has opened up Gemini for Home into a "full-stack AI offering." This sounds technical, but all it means is that Google is "empowering service providers and hardware manufacturers to create monetizable, proactive services for customers and their homes." A developers post shared more, announcing the start of the "Google Home Gemini built-in" program.

This is targeting Google's partners who create smart home hardware for consumers. Google states hardware makers won't have to stress about the research; they need only "focus on delivering an exceptional service experience." Through the "Gemini built in" program, companies can create and launch Gemini-capable smart cameras, thanks to Google's Camera Reference Design. Moreover, makers can now leverage the full force of Gemini's voice capabilities for smart speakers in 2026.

Similarly, we have what Google is doing with service providers, like AT&T. The company says it is integrating its Google Home Premium subscription plan with carriers, ISPs, and security companies. This brings in daily household features, such as Home Brief: a daily roundup of what's gone on around your home. "Advanced deterrence" methods are also included, letting users make it appear as though they're home for extra home protection.

Companies will also benefit from better protection for smart cameras. This technology makes cameras smarter, so they only alert you to the important things: deliveries, someone at the door, etc. Google says AT&T is spearheading this movement, using Home's APIs and Gemini in its Connect Life app and security services.

Gemini arrives for more people & devices

This announcement for a better, smarter home for consumers that companies can leverage includes Gemini for Home's availability for developers. These are a set of tools that developers can utilize to begin creating for their ecosystems and consumers. Many of these features we're already privy to. Google highlights Home Brief and Ask Home as "core capabilities."

Smart cameras have been upgraded for Google Home. These keen eyes around the home can "see" what's happening. This lets them "describe" what's going on, so the homeowner is well-informed, instead of delivering generic responses like before.

Google's update for smarter cameras arrived earlier this month. A major part of that update was what the company highlighted today: AI. Combined with its software, cameras could "see" and describe to the homeowner what was going on for the full story. Google also rolled out skip buttons to jump through clips and a new option to help swipe between views. Users should also know that the Event feeds got a visual boost, too.

Clearer, zoomed previews help you focus on the action for a particular clip (event). Additionally, users can filter out these events based on "person seen" or "glass break."

Google once again took to I/O to extol AI and talk about how agentic AI is going to free us from mundane tasks to such an extent that we'll all have so much free time we won't know what to do with. There's just one problem with that — AI in its current iteration isn't anywhere close to being as good.

I like using Google's services; I set up my Gmail account close to two decades ago, I have 11 years' worth of photos and videos stored in Photos, and important documents in Drive — a good chunk of my digital presence is inexorably linked to my Google account.

I was okay with the tradeoffs it involved; I didn't mind sharing my data with Google back when all it did with that information was serve me targeted ads. That isn't the case with AI. With Google using personal data to train AI models — ostensibly to provide customized information — I'm wary of how much of my data is being siphoned into Gemini. Thankfully, it's easy enough (for now) to prevent Gemini from accessing Drive, Photos, Gmail, and other services. I did so by disabling Gemini's logs; go to your Google's account settings, and toggle Gemini Apps Activity to off.

While it's easy enough to ignore Gemini right now, Google is intent on putting that damn sparkle icon just about everywhere. I'm greeted by an Ask Gemini button in Chrome, it's ever-present in Gmail (I don't want to summarize a 100-word email!), and for reasons I don't understand, it's bundled into Google Photos (which had a metadata-based search that was just fine), and even Maps is getting Gemini now.

Google also showcased how Docs Live acts as a "thought partner and co-writer" when you're "rambling a stream of consciousness or brainstorming an idea." Umm, no thanks. I get that AI is the ultimate buzzword now, and Google is ideally positioned to leverage it — the search giant already has troves of data from billions of users, so it makes sense to put that to use to train its models. But I don't want any part of it, and while I get that these features are useful if you need assistance in drafting a document or writing a formal email, I don't see any utility in any of the myriad of new Gemini features coming to Docs, Gmail, or even Keep. I don't want to talk to Keep to organize my thoughts — that's where I go to jot down never-ending to-do lists.

All I wanted was for Google to make any meaningful changes to Search, but what we got instead was a wholesale AI makeover that doesn't address the lingering issues facing Google's marquee product. The quality of search has degraded to such an extent that it's an SEO-riddled spam — particularly in India. Google knows this, and that's why it started serving Reddit and Quora results prominently on the page, ostensibly to deal with spam.

As brands increasingly push these AI services and make them harder to ignore, I'm reminded of a post that talks about teaching in the age of generative AI. It goes into how LLMs have made coursework frictionless to a point where the "process of doing the work" is negated. That made me think a lot about how a little amount of friction is needed, even with mundane tasks. Whether that's cleaning up digital data (a Sunday morning task I've been doing for the better part of a decade), sorting out all the bills, managing subscriptions, organizing photos and videos, there's a sense of reward that I get when doing these tasks, and I don't want AI to remove that friction.

Look, I'll admit that Google did a decent job outlining its AI vision; Gemini Spark, Omni, Daily Brief, and Universal Cart all tie into what the brand has been doing over the last year, and it's a natural extension to the chatbot. I get that these features have tangible utility, but I don't see a need to use any of them, and I don't see that changing soon.

What you need to know

• Google AI Pro now uses a new credit-based quota system instead of fixed Gemini message limits.
• Complex Gemini prompts and AI tools can now consume a large chunk of your available usage quota.
• The new limits apply across Gemini features inside apps like Google Photos and other Google services.

Gemini was front and center at Google I/O 2026, with the company unveiling a number of new AI-powered features and tools. However, alongside all those announcements, Google also quietly made a change to its $20/month Google AI Pro plan, and not everyone is happy about it.

At I/O 2026, Google introduced a new $100/month Google AI Ultra plan while also reducing the pricing of its higher-end $250 plan down to $200 per month. But quietly alongside that, the company also changed how usage limits work on the standard Google AI Pro plan.

Previously, Google used a more straightforward fixed-message count system for Gemini usage limits. Now, the company is moving to a credit-based system where token usage depends on things like prompt complexity, the features being used, and even the length of conversations.

Google says paid users will now see a rolling five-hour usage window along with weekly quotas based on how intensive their prompts are. However, many users feel the limits are much lower than before.

Some users on Reddit are already calling the new system a scam, with reports of a single prompt consuming around 13% of their quota. Others say certain Gemini AI Plus features can burn through nearly 30% in one go.

The system feels very similar to the usage-based quota approach used by Claude, where more demanding tasks consume more credits. The five-hour quota refreshes automatically, but there's also a stricter weekly cap that users can hit.

And importantly, these limits apply across other Google apps and services, including the Gemini app, Flow and Antigravity. So if you're using Gemini features inside these apps, all of that contributes toward the same quota. Thankfully, though, apps like Google Photos and other Google apps powered by Gemini do not share this quota.

You can check these limits directly inside the Gemini app under Settings > Usage limits.

To be fair, Google has added some value elsewhere. The company recently increased cloud storage for subscribers from 2TB to 5TB, which does soften the blow a bit. But for heavier Gemini users, this definitely feels more restrictive than before, and it may push many power users toward the new $100/month Ultra plan.

Google I/O 2026 just wrapped up, and unsurprisingly, almost every major announcement during this year's keynote revolved around Gemini. From the new Gemini models to a Gemini-powered shopping cart that can track prices and deals for you, nearly everything Google announced had Gemini integrated into it in some form.

I haven't really been too sold on Google's Gemini push over the past few I/O events. A lot of the features felt interesting on stage, but never really impacted my day-to-day life in a meaningful way. But the I/O 2026 felt a little different. Google has now integrated Gemini much deeper into its core products, and some of the new features genuinely look like they could save users a lot of time.

Here are the top five things you need to know from Google I/O 2026.

Gemini is slowly becoming the AI assistant Google always wanted

Ever since Google announced Gemini, the company has been trying to position it as the replacement for the original Google Assistant. But after I/O 2026, it finally feels like that transition is actually happening. Google introduced something called Gemini Spark, which is essentially a personal AI agent that can run 24/7 in the background and take actions on your behalf.

And these actions aren't limited to your device. Since Gemini Spark runs in the cloud, it can continue working even after you close your laptop or lock your phone. For example, you could ask it to monitor your credit card bills for suspicious charges or track updates from your kid's school and summarize important information directly into Gmail.

It works somewhat similarly to projects like OpenClaw, although Google still doesn't allow local browsing, messaging, or emailing directly through Spark just yet. The company says those features are coming later. Google also emphasized that Spark won't take important actions like spending money or sending emails without explicit user approval.

Alongside this, Google also introduced a new feature called Daily Brief. It works similarly to the Daily Hub on the Pixel 10 series, pulling together updates from Gmail, Calendar, and other Google apps into a more digestible overview. It can automatically prioritize tasks based on your goals and even suggest immediate next steps.

Both Gemini Spark and Daily Brief are starting to roll out for Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S.

Gemini will now edit videos for you

Gemini can already generate images and edit photos, but now Google is taking things much further with video. Replacing the older Veo branding, the company introduced Gemini Omni, which brings conversational video editing directly into Gemini.

For example, you can simply type things like "apply a cinematic zoom to this clip" or "swap the background," and Gemini will edit the video for you automatically.

What makes Gemini Omni even more interesting is that it supports multiple types of input at once. You can combine text, images, videos, and even audio into one final output. For example, you could provide a still image, an audio track, and a visual effect prompt, then ask Gemini to generate a complete video using all of them together.

Since Omni is built on Gemini's reasoning architecture, Google says it has a much better understanding of real-world physics and movement, including things like gravity, motion, and object interaction, making the generated videos look more realistic overall.

For now, Google is launching the first model in the Omni family called Gemini Omni Flash. It's rolling out to Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers through the Gemini app. Google also says users will be able to remix YouTube Shorts using Gemini Omni starting later this week.

Gemini can now track deals and price drops across the web for you

One of the best features Google announced today, at least in my opinion, is the new Gemini-powered Universal Cart. The feature works across different retailers and Google services, and once you add products to the cart while browsing Search or chatting with Gemini, it starts working in the background automatically.

Google says Universal Cart will track price drops, monitor stock availability, show price history insights, and even notify you when a product comes back in stock.

What makes it even more interesting is how smart it seems to be. For example, if you're building a custom PC, Gemini can understand compatibility behind the scenes and stop you from adding incompatible components to your cart. And if something doesn't work, it'll suggest alternative products automatically. It can also analyze the cards you've saved in Google Wallet and recommend the best payment method to maximize cashback, rewards, or savings.

Another big advantage is that it works across multiple retailers instead of locking you into one storefront. So whether you're adding products from Amazon, Walmart, Nike, or Target, everything gets tracked together in one Universal Cart.

Universal Cart is expected to begin rolling out later this summer, although only in the U.S. for now.

Google Search is getting a whole lot different

For years, the Google search box has basically just been a place where you type questions and get results from the web. But at I/O 2026, Google announced some major changes to Search that could dramatically change how people use it going forward.

Search is no longer limited to just text. Google says users will now be able to combine text, images, videos, and even Chrome tabs into a single search query. Search is also getting something called Search Agents, which work somewhat similarly to Gemini Spark. These agents can run in the background 24/7 and keep track of information that matters to you.

For example, you could create a Search Agent to monitor a stock you're interested in or continuously look for properties in a specific area within a certain budget and size range.

Google is also introducing custom dashboards and trackers for ongoing tasks. The company describes these as personalized "mini apps" built around your own workflows, whether that's planning a wedding, tracking nutrition goals, or managing long-term projects. Google says these agents and mini apps will begin rolling out later this summer, initially for AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S.

Gmail is finally getting the conversational AI search it needed

If you've ever wondered why Gmail still felt stuck with old-school keyword search despite Google pushing conversational AI everywhere else, Google is finally changing that at I/O 2026.

The company has introduced a new feature called Gmail Live, which lets users conversationally search through their inbox instead of typing traditional keywords. For example, you could simply ask something like, "Find the flight number for my flight today," and Gmail will pull up the relevant information directly.

Alongside this, Google is also expanding the AI Inbox experience it first introduced earlier this year. The feature essentially turns Gmail into a more personalized dashboard for tasks, updates, and important information using Gemini. Google says the expanded AI Inbox experience will now roll out to Google AI Plus and AI Pro subscribers as well.

What you need to know

• Google just overhauled its AI subscriptions with a new $100/month Ultra tier, cheaper flagship pricing, and a completely new way to manage AI usage.
• The new AI Ultra $100 plan targets power users with 5x higher usage limits, Gemini 3.5 Flash access, Google Antigravity support, 20TB of storage, and bundled YouTube Premium.
• Gemini Spark is Google’s new always-on AI agent that can move across Google services, connect information, and act on your behalf like a digital operator.

Google is changing how you pay for and interact with its AI ecosystem. Fresh out of I/O 2026, the company announced a massive shakeup to its Google AI subscriptions, including a new tier, a price cut to its most expensive plan, and a change to how prompt limits are handled.

The big news is a new $100/month AI Ultra plan aimed squarely at power users, developers, technical leads, and advanced creators. It has a 5x higher usage limit than the Pro plan and can be used in the Gemini app and Google Antigravity, the company's new agent-first development platform.

It also includes a whopping 20TB of cloud storage and an ad-free YouTube Premium individual plan so you can listen to music or stream tutorials while you code. Also buried deep within this tier is the lightning-fast testing and debugging of Gemini 3.5 Flash.

At the same time, Google is slashing the price on its flagship AI Ultra plan from $250 to $200. You still get the exact same capabilities, including a massive 20x usage limit over the Pro tier in the Gemini app and Google Antigravity, just for less cash.

Meet your new AI agents

If you’re on the $100 or $200 Ultra plan in the U.S., you can access Gemini Spark. It is an AI agent that works 24/7, moving across your digital life, connecting the dots across Google products, and acting on your behalf. It lands on Beta for Ultra subscribers next week.

Meanwhile, $200 Ultra subscribers globally (who are 18 or older) are getting access to Project Genie. This experimental tool allows you to create and explore new worlds, and a new update powered by Street View makes those creations grounded in reality.

All paid tiers — Plus, Pro, and Ultra — are being updated to the latest models globally, including Gemini Omni and Gemini 3.5 Flash. Gemini Omni, which was also unveiled at Google I/O, lets you create and edit content from any combination of text, image, and video inputs. You can drop a video from your camera roll, apply templates, and edit without needing technical skills.

Productivity tools are getting a huge bump too. The new AI Inbox in Gmail (available for US Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers) intelligently triages your emails, drafts personalized replies, and pulls relevant Docs, Sheets, and Slides links. You also get the Daily Brief in the Gemini app, a morning digest that pulls from your Gmail, Calendar, and chats to flag priorities and suggest immediate next steps. Coming this summer for Pro and Ultra users: additional voice capabilities in Gmail, Docs, and Keep, plus an all-new image creation and editing tool called Google Pics.

And, of course, YouTube Premium is part of Ultra, but paid Pro subscribers in some countries will also soon get YouTube Premium Lite (valued at $8.99 monthly) included at no additional cost. The Pro and Ultra plans also include Health Premium and Home Premium for free.

Interestingly, Google is abandoning daily prompt limits and switching to a “compute-used” model. Your usage limit now also takes into account the complexity of your prompt, the features you’re using, and the length of your chat.

A simple text question costs far less of your allowance than a heavy video or coding request. Your limit resets every five hours until you hit your weekly limit. If you hit your limit on the biggest models, Google won’t leave you in the lurch. It'll bump you down to smaller, faster models so you never miss a beat. Need the heavy lifters? Pro and Ultra subscribers can buy pay-as-you-go top-up AI credits.

Android Central's Take

In essence, switching to a “compute-used” model is Google’s clever way of saying it’s applying surge pricing to your brainpower. Basically, we are paying $100-200 a month to beta test something that will inevitably throttle our workflows halfway through the day and require us to buy "pay-as-you-go" credits just to finish a project.

What you need to know

• Google unveiled Gemini Omni, a new multimodal AI model built to generate and edit videos using text, images, audio, and video inputs.
• The model is designed to be context-aware and physics-aware, helping generated videos look more realistic and coherent over longer creative sessions.
• Gemini Omni remembers previous instructions during multi-step edits, which could make iterative video creation much smoother.

Gemini is going to be much more than a chatbot. During its I/O event today, the company announced a new multimodal AI model called Gemini Omni, which is designed to help you create and edit videos from just about any kind of input you give it.

According to the company, Gemini Omni can combine text, image, audio, and video references into fully generated clips that are designed to stay coherent across scenes and edits. This means the AI no longer relies on traditional prompts alone.

Until now, AI video tools felt mostly fragmented. Some excel at visuals but suck at storytelling, while others cannot keep characters or environments consistent between edits. Google is pitching Gemini Omni as a solution to that disconnect. Omni is designed to be context-aware and physics-aware and to maintain continuity for longer creative sessions.

Since last year, Google has been steadily pushing Gemini deeper into creative workflows, with Nano Banana bringing the spotlight to Gemini-powered image generation and editing. Google’s blog post calls Omni the next big step in that strategy, with Google describing it as Gemini’s move from just reasoning about content to actually creating it.

One of the key features of Gemini Omni is its conversational editing capability. With Gemini Omni, users can simply tell the system what to change in natural language, rather than having to fire up a convoluted editing suite and tinker with clips frame-by-frame.

The company also says the model recalls previous commands during multi-step revisions, which could make iterative editing feel far less chaotic.

Google claims Omni has a better grasp of concepts like gravity, kinetic energy, and fluid dynamics than previous systems, meaning it generates more convincing scenes. The model combines Gemini’s world knowledge with visual generation, enabling it to generate explainers, educational visuals, and more narrative-driven scenes from brief prompts.

Mix any input together

Another major change is how flexible the inputs are. Gemini Omni can mix images, drawings, videos, text prompts, and audio references in one workflow. Google says creators can start with rough sketches or existing footage and then build those out into more polished cinematic clips. The system also supplies style and motion references, which afford users more control over the actual feel of the final video.

Google is also testing AI-generated digital avatars via its Omni project. These avatars look and sound like the users, so people can create custom video content without being on camera all the time.

That of course raises obvious concerns around misuse and deepfakes, and so Google is emphasizing its safety features up front. All Omni-generated videos will carry a watermark via the company’s SynthID technology, which invisibly tags AI-generated material for verification purposes.

The Gemini Omni Flash is the first version being made public for the time being. Google says it’s rolling out worldwide to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers through the Gemini app and Google Flow and users of YouTube Shorts and YouTube Create will also start to get access this week at no extra cost. API access for enterprise clients and developers will come in the next few weeks.

Android Central's Take

Google can talk all day about physics realism, continuity, and SynthID safeguards, but none of that automatically solves the bigger issue: when everyone can generate endless polished videos in seconds, originality becomes harder to spot. Gemini Omni does look powerful, and it could be one of Google’s most important AI launches yet. But if all platforms suddenly become populated with perfectly generated talking avatars and synthetic storytelling, users may spend as much time figuring out what’s real as they do consuming the content.

What you need to know

• Google AI Studio can now build native Android apps directly from simple text prompts in the browser.
• Apps are built using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose with support for GPS, Bluetooth, and NFC.
• Google now lets users preview Android apps instantly using an embedded Android Emulator.

Google is making Android app development much more accessible, as starting today, users can now build full native Android apps directly from text prompts inside Google AI Studio.

Google says the feature is aimed at both experienced developers who want to prototype apps faster and beginners building their first Android app. According to the company, the generated apps are proper native Android apps built using Kotlin, which means they can be installed on devices and shared with others like any normal Android app.

Since these apps are built using Jetpack Compose and Kotlin, they also support things like offline functionality, background services, and deeper hardware integrations such as GPS, Bluetooth, and NFC.

One of the biggest highlights of today's announcement is that the entire workflow happens directly inside the browser. Google AI Studio now includes an embedded Android Emulator that lets users preview and interact with their apps while they're being generated.

Google is also simplifying testing. If you have a Google Play Developer account, you can now publish your app directly from AI Studio for testing. Google says the platform will automatically create the app listing, package the app bundle, and upload it directly to an internal testing track inside the Play Developer Console.

And if you want to move beyond AI Studio later, Google says projects can also be exported as ZIP files, pushed directly to GitHub, or opened in Android Studio for more advanced development workflows.

For now, Google says the initial release is mainly focused on simpler app experiences like utilities, social apps, and Gemini-powered tools, although the company also confirmed that Firebase integrations and easier Play Store publishing features are coming soon.

Google even showcased a few example apps built using the platform, including a harmonium app for the Pixel Fold that reacts to hinge angles and gestures, as well as a Gemini-powered guitar practice companion app with YouTube integration.

Android Central's Take

This looks pretty fun. Nothing debuted something similar earlier this year, but Google's solution feels much bigger. It really feels like we're moving beyond simple AI prompts into actually building useful apps from them.

What you need to know

• Gemini Spark works like a proactive AI agent that can manage tasks and workflows in the background.
• Spark integrates deeply with Gmail, Docs, Slides, and other Google Workspace apps.
• Google says Spark can summarize meetings, scan emails, and automate recurring tasks.
• Gemini Spark starts rolling out to trusted testers first, with Google AI Ultra users in the U.S. getting beta access next week.

Google just unveiled Gemini Spark, and it might be the company's clearest vision yet for what an AI assistant is supposed to become. Instead of simply acting like a chatbot that answers questions, Spark is designed to proactively manage tasks and workflows for users in the background throughout the day.

Google is calling Spark a "24/7 personal AI agent," and it's powered by the company's latest Gemini 3.5 Flash model. It uses the Antigravity harness and is deeply integrated with the Workspace tools like Gmail, Docs, Slides, and more. Unlike traditional assistants, Spark isn't tied to your device. It runs in the cloud, and it can continue working even after you close your laptop or lock your phone.

Google shared several examples of what Spark can do. Users can create recurring workflows that automatically scan credit card statements for hidden subscriptions, monitor school-related emails and flag important messages, summarize meetings, generate Google Docs, and even draft follow-up emails tied to ongoing projects.

The company is also expanding Spark through MCP integrations with services like Canva, OpenTable, and Instacart. Google says more integrations are on the way, alongside future features like custom sub-agents that can work directly in your browser, as well as the ability to interact with Spark through email or text messages.

Google says Spark remains user-controlled. The company says users decide when Spark is enabled, what apps it can connect to, and that the AI will ask for approval before performing high-stakes actions like spending money or sending emails.

Gemini Spark starts rolling out to "trusted testers" this week, while Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. are expected to get beta access starting next week.

Android Central's Take

This is probably the first time Google's AI ambitions actually feel useful to me. Gemini Spark feels less like another chatbot gimmick and more like something that could genuinely save time in day-to-day life.

That said, the idea of Google constantly sitting in the background reading emails, tracking tasks, and managing workflows still feels a little too invasive. I still don't fully know if I can trust it yet

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.

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

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.

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!

What you need to know

• Google is now rolling out Gemini 3.5 Flash globally across the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, Google AI Studio, Android Studio, and enterprise platforms.
• Google says Gemini 3.5 Flash beats Gemini 3.1 Pro in several coding and reasoning benchmarks, including Terminal-Bench 2.1, GDPval-AA, and MCP Atlas.
• The company claims Gemini 3.5 Flash generates responses four times faster than rival frontier AI systems while maintaining high-end performance.

Google is pushing Gemini into a much more agentic future, and this time around the company wants to sell more than just raw speed. Google says its latest AI model, called Gemini 3.5 Flash, is designed to address complex workflows, multi-step tasks, and coding jobs that previously needed much larger and slower models.

Unveiled at today's Google I/O event, Gemini 3.5 Flash is now rolling out globally through the Gemini app and AI Mode in Google Search, with developers and enterprise customers able to access through Google Antigravity, Google AI Studio, Android Studio, and Gemini Enterprise tools.

3.5 Pro is coming next month

Google has also teased Gemini 3.5 Pro, but that version is still in testing internally and is expected to launch sometime next month.

To give you some context, Google's Flash models have always focused on performance versus speed and not on chasing pure benchmark dominance. Gemini 3.5 Flash, though, sounds like Google's attempt to eliminate that compromise altogether. The company claims that the model does better than Gemini 3.1 Pro on various tests for decision-making and coding, like Terminal-Bench 2.1, GDPval-AA, and MCP Atlas, and it also does well on tests for understanding different types of information, such as CharXiv Reasoning.

Google also claims that the model produces output four times faster than competing frontier AI systems. The company says Gemini 3.5 Flash is particularly strong at “long-horizon” tasks, meaning workflows that require sustained reasoning across multiple steps. In practical terms, Google believes the model can help developers build apps faster, maintain codebases more efficiently, and even assist financial teams with document preparation in a fraction of the time older workflows required.

A key part of that strategy is Google Antigravity, the company's agentic development platform. When paired with Gemini 3.5 Flash, Google says the platform can deploy collaborative subagents capable of tackling large-scale workloads under human supervision. The company also says the enhanced model’s stronger multimodal capabilities allow it to generate richer web interfaces and more dynamic graphics.

Google is already building those agentic ambitions right into consumer products. At Google I/O, the company announced Gemini Spark, a personal AI agent built on top of the new model, as Gemini 3.5 Flash rapidly becomes the model of choice for powering the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search globally.

According to Google, Gemini Spark is designed to run continuously in the background, helping users manage digital tasks and take actions under their direction. Starting today, trusted testers are getting access, and Google AI Ultra subscribers in the US should see the beta rollout next week.

As AI systems gain more autonomy, Google will have to face more scrutiny on safety. The company says Gemini 3.5 was developed under its Frontier Safety Framework and has enhanced cyber and CBRN protections. As a result, the model is better at refusing to produce harmful responses while reducing unnecessary refusals to safe prompts. Some of that is reportedly due to newer interpretability tools that help explore the model’s internal reasoning before it answers.

Gemini 3.5 Flash is accessible across Google’s AI ecosystem, including the Gemini app, AI Mode in Search, Google AI Studio, Android Studio, and enterprise platforms.

Android Central's Take

Tech companies love to promise frictionless automation until the moment the AI breaks something important or misunderstands a simple request. The Gemini 3.5 Flash sounds impressive on paper, particularly in terms of its speed and coding improvements, but putting more control in the hands of AI systems also means users will have to trust Google a lot more than they used to. And honestly, after years of companies trying to hype up AI features that sometimes feel half-baked at launch, I think a little skepticism is still healthy here.

Google's Android Show, ahead of I/O 2026 next week, just wrapped up, and the company showcased some major announcements and features coming to Android 17 later this year. As expected, there were big AI-focused improvements around Gemini, along with new UI changes for Android Auto, updated safety features, and even some visual refreshes across Android.

Google also gave us a sneak peek at a brand-new category of laptops coming later this year. The keynote was packed with announcements, and below we've rounded up the top five Android 17 upgrades showcased during the event.

Gemini is getting more Intelligent

Gemini has already become a central part of Android, and it looks like Google is doubling down on that with an even smarter version of the AI. Google is calling this new system Gemini Intelligence, and it will power a number of new Android 17 features later this year.

With Gemini Intelligence, Android will be able to handle even more complex tasks than before. Right now, Gemini's on-screen automation can already do things like order food or call a cab on devices like the Galaxy S26 series and Pixel 10 lineup. With the upgraded Gemini Intelligence, it will also be able to perform more advanced tasks, like checking your Gmail, finding books, and even adding them directly to your shopping cart.

Two of the biggest new features powered by Gemini Intelligence are Rambler and Create My Widget. Rambler is an upgraded speech-to-text experience for Pixel devices. It understands more natural speech patterns, including pauses, corrections, and filler words like 'umms' and 'ahhs,' and formats them correctly while transcribing. It also supports multilingual input, meaning you can switch between languages naturally while speaking.

The other feature, and probably my favorite, is AI-powered widget creation. With Gemini Intelligence, you'll be able to create custom widgets just by describing what you want. Gemini can pull information from other Google apps and generate widgets tailored to your needs.

For example, you could create a widget showing multiple world clocks at once or one that tracks your daily calorie intake. These widgets will also sync across other Google devices, including Wear OS watches and Googlebooks later this year.

Quick Share to AirDrop support is coming to more devices

Late last year, Google added support for sharing files between Android's Quick Share and Apple's AirDrop on the Pixel 10 series, and later expanded it to the Pixel 9 lineup earlier this year. Samsung also introduced the feature on the Galaxy S26 series and recently expanded it to the Galaxy S25 lineup and some older devices.

Now, even more Android phones will support the feature. Google says devices from partners like Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor will also gain support for Quick Share to AirDrop transfers. And for devices that don't support native sharing, Google says users will still be able to generate a QR code to transfer files through the cloud to iPhones.

Google is also improving the process for switching from iPhone to Android. The company says more complex data, including saved passwords and even your home screen layout, will now carry over when moving from an iPhone to an Android phone — something that was previously missing.

Pause Point wants to break your endless doomscrolling habit

We've all been there, picking up the phone to do something quickly and then ending up scrolling Instagram or TikTok for far longer than intended. Google wants to help users break that habit with a new Android feature called Pause Point.

Pause Point lets you mark certain apps as distracting, and whenever you open them, Android will first show a short 10-second pause screen before letting you continue. During that time, it can suggest things like breathing exercises, setting a timer for the app, looking at favorite photos, or even switching to something less distracting, like an audiobook app.

Google says this approach works better than traditional app timers because those are easy to turn off or ignore. Pause Point instead adds more friction, and if you want to disable it completely, Android will require a full phone restart before the feature can actually be turned off.

Android is finally getting redesigned 3D emojis

Probably the smallest, yet somehow one of the biggest, announcements during today's Android Show keynote was that Android is finally getting redesigned 3D emojis. For years, people have complained that Android emojis look too flat and uninspiring, especially compared to the ones on iPhones, and Google is finally changing that.

Google still hasn't shown the full redesigned emoji set yet, only teasing a few examples so far, but the company says the new 3D emojis will start rolling out to Pixel devices later this year.

Android 17 adds stronger protections against scams and frauds

Google already claims that Android blocks more scams and frauds than the iPhone, and with Android 17, the company is pushing those protections even further. Google says it's partnering with select banks and financial institutions for new anti-spoofing call protection.

Basically, if you receive a call from someone pretending to be your bank, Android will be able to verify in the background with the official banking app installed on your phone whether the call is legitimate or not. If it detects something suspicious, it can immediately flag and cut the call.

Google is also improving Live Threat Detection. Android 17 will now scan apps for suspicious behavior, including things like SMS forwarding, hidden background launches, or misuse of accessibility overlays.

Chrome on Android is also getting stronger Safe Browsing protections. If you try to download an APK or app from a third-party source, Chrome will actively analyze it for malware and block the download if it detects anything harmful.

Find Hub is also gaining a useful new security feature with an upgraded "Mark as Lost" mode. When you mark your phone as lost, Android 17 can now lock the device behind biometric authentication in addition to your PIN or password. This adds another layer of protection, preventing someone from unlocking the device even if they somehow know the passcode.

Android will also hide Quick Settings while the device is locked, stopping thieves from disabling Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which can be crucial when you're trying to track a lost phone.

But that's not all...

Overall, Google is preparing a pretty major Android 17 update for later this year. We expect most of these features to arrive around the Pixel 11 launch window in August or September, or possibly through a later Android 17 QPR release.

And these weren't the only announcements either. Google also showed off new Gemini integrations coming to Chrome on Android, along with several creator-focused improvements.

That said, probably the most interesting announcement from the keynote was Google's new Googlebook laptop lineup, which looks like the company's next big step beyond Chromebooks and toward a more Gemini-focused computing experience.

What you need to know

• Google is integrating the Gemini 3.1 AI directly into Chrome for Android's toolbar starting in June.
• It allows you to summarize long articles, ask questions about the current page, and extract details without leaving the browser or switching apps.
• By opting into "Personal Intelligence," users can allow Gemini to personalize its answers based on their hobbies, family details, and preferences.
• Chrome will be able to execute multi-step tasks on your behalf, like using event ticket details to book a parking spot or automatically updating a recurring dog food order.

Chrome on Android is becoming far more ambitious than a mobile browser. At The Android Show: I/O Edition 2026, Google introduced a host of Gemini-powered capabilities that make Chrome feel more like an intelligent assistant that can do far more than just help you browse the web.

Google announced that next month, Gemini will show up inside Chrome for Android. This will be a full agentic experience built on Gemini 3.1. For users, this removes the need to toggle between apps or copy-paste snippets of text into an AI chatbot.

Instead, you can just tap a Gemini symbol in the upper right corner of Chrome’s toolbar and ask questions about the webpage you're looking at. This may include summarizing extensive articles, breaking down tough topics, or retrieving specific details from a page without interrupting your browsing.

The tech giant is also going hard on connected experiences across its ecosystem. Gemini in Chrome can work with Google apps like Gmail, Calendar, and Keep to do light work. You might take recipe components into Keep, make calendar events from webpages, or grab information from inside Gmail conversations, all within the browser.

If consumers opt in to Personal Intelligence, Google says the experience gets even more tailored. This allows Gemini to adapt replies based on your likes, hobbies, family, and other personal information. The argument here is convenience, though it also raises the usual questions about how much personal data people are comfortable feeding into AI systems.

Another addition is Nano Banana. The feature enables users to create or change visuals directly from webpages. You can transform online study material into an infographic or digitally furnish an apartment listing with AI-generated decor ideas.

Agentic 'auto browse' tool

Then there’s auto browse, which may end up being the most important feature of the bunch. This is Google’s attempt at agentic browsing, where Chrome can actually carry out tasks on your behalf. The examples Google shared are intentionally practical: reserving parking through SpotHero using details from an event ticket or updating recurring Chewy pet food orders automatically as your puppy grows older.

Of course, giving an AI assistant the power to do things online also raises security problems. Google says these features include the same protections found on desktop Chrome, including defenses against prompt injection attacks. Sensitive actions like purchases or social media posts will still require user confirmation before completion.

There are a few limitations. Gemini in Chrome and auto browse require devices with at least 4GB of RAM, Android 12 or newer, and English-U.S. language settings. Google says Gemini in Chrome starts rolling out to select Android devices in the U.S. at the end of June, while auto browse will initially be limited to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.

Android Central's Take

I can already see how this might be one of the more valuable Gemini integrations Google has launched yet. Having Chrome understand what I’m reading, pull info from my apps, and handle repetitive tasks sounds far more practical than another flashy AI demo that nobody uses after a week. At the same time, though, Google is asking users to trust AI with an increasingly huge chunk of their digital lives, from browsing habits to purchases and personal data. Whether that’s reassuring or a little disconcerting depends on how much control you’re ready to give up in exchange for saving a few taps.

What you need to know

• The Android Show discussed what AI features users can expect on the Galaxy S26 series and Pixel 10 this summer.
• Gemini Intelligence will arrive soon, giving users task automations, as well as the AI's ability to understand visual context and what's on your screen.
• With this Agentic Future, Google says it will continue to give users control over the AI, so it doesn't do anything without their explicit request, and users reserve the ability to turn it off or on whenever.

Gemini Intelligence was a hot topic for Google during the Android Show, showcasing how the company wants to help users automate certain tasks.

The software is headed to Android devices following the Android Show "this summer," and Google says you can expect it on its Pixels and the latest Samsung Galaxy phones. Dressed in the company's Material 3 Expressive design, Gemini Intelligence is receiving automation capabilities for apps for food and rideshare. But there's more, Google teases. It adds that soon, "Gemini will navigate tasks for you — whether it’s snagging a front-row bike for your spin class or finding your class syllabus in Gmail, then putting the books you need in your cart."

Sure, your voice is a pretty good way to work with an AI, but Google says there's potential there for visual context. Gemini Intelligence is said to incorporate "screen and image context." Without switching between a bunch of apps, Gemini can be activated over your notes app (for example) to help you create a grocery list. This could even work for a photo you snapped of a banner or poster.

Google adds that you can watch Gemini's progress via Live Notifications, and the AI will stop once it's done. Users can expect Gemini Intelligence to arrive on the Galaxy S26 series and the Pixel 10 first this summer. This feature will roll out "in waves" as they become ready.

Gemini Intelligence isn't stopping there, as users should expect a smarter Autofill on their phones. Google says it wants to tackle one problem: filling out complex forms on a mobile screen. Typically, you only autofill with recent data, such as your email address. With Gemini, users can connect the AI to Autofill, allowing it to connect with your apps to automatically write in the right information.

Google reiterates that this is an opt-in-only feature. It can be enabled or disabled whenever you like in your settings. In a similar vein of filling in text, Gboard is getting a new feature called "Rambler." It's exactly what you think it might be. We all ramble at times, and Rambler, when converting your speech into text, will take out unnecessary words and phrases.

What's more, Rambler can understand multiple languages. A bit of Spanglish (Spanish and English) is now effortlessly added to your text message, thanks to Gemini's smarts working as the backbone of Rambler.

Google's AI is also staring down another ambition: generative UI. In short, Gemini Intelligence will help users create custom widgets on their phones. This will be introduced as "Create My Widget." Users can tell Gemini on their home screen what kind of widget they'd like. If you want a widget that counts down the days to your first marathon, helps you find meals to make during the week, and more, Gemini can do that. These capabilities are coming to your Android phone and Wear OS devices.

Agentic? Yes, but Google wants safety

Google is slowly but surely altering our perspective on Android. It states that it wants to shift it from a regular, static OS to an "intelligence system."

To do that, Gemini Intelligence is required. While we've already gone over its major processes and features for 2026, Google isn't shying away from your security. This is often a major concern, as many features require users to provide sensitive information or access to things on their devices that would give anyone pause.

Explicit user control is one area where Google says it's focused. Through this, it ensures that users receive "granular controls" over the AI, meaning you can turn it on or off whenever you like. It's security talks confidence. Gemini is said to only automate tasks or complete a request when you've asked it to. Moreover, "Gemini is designed to require user confirmation before making purchases on your behalf." Then, there's your explicit intent. Users stay in control over how and where Gemini uses their data.

If you're okay with sharing your text messages, that is your choice (and vice versa). Google has also worked on several layers of data protection for users, thanks to the Private Compute Core, Private AI Compute, and protected KVM. Transparency is a must, which is why users will find AI assistant history logs and Live Notifications, which let you know how Gemini is doing, exist on Android.

Android Central's Take

For me, Gemini shines when it comes to automation and questions and discovering new activities. To take a photo of a poster that you've seen, and to then ask Gemini to find something similar for you, is cool. It's a decent bit of helpfulness that I feel will position Gemini nicely in people's minds. For a quick bit of help while you're out, Gemini can be a powerful aid to avoid spending too much time researching, which will take away from your vacation time.

What you need to know

• Google announced two updates for Gmail's AI "Help me write," which help quicken the work process, while also increasing its capabilities.
• Now, the company says the AI can mimic how you speak by looking at your writing style and tone from previous emails.
• "Help me write" can now access your other Workspace apps to add relevant information to its draft without your manual input.
• More people can get in on this feature, so long as you have Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra, alongside the usual Workspace accounts.

Gemini's involvement in Gmail can be quite the helping hand, and now Google states it's trying to take that up a level (or two).

Announced this week, Google states in a Workspace post that "Help me write," Gemini's email drafting assistant, is receiving two important personalization updates. The first (and, quite honestly, most intriguing) update this week is "tone and style personalization" for Gemini's help. Google says that when this is active, the AI can draft emails for you "that match the tone and style of your previously written emails."

Essentially, it's like if you were writing it, but not really. The company provides a quick before-and-after view of this, showing how the AI (today) is a little "stiff," you could say. With this personalization upgrade, it'll take a look at how you've written things before and try to parrot that. What's more, the AI's going to start doing more when drafting emails for you.

"Topic contextualization" is Google's official term for the AI's understanding of when to leverage your connected Workspace apps to pull information. After your query, the AI will use "context" from apps like Drive (and details shared in past emails) to fill out the rest of the message. Google intends for this to be helpful, as users won't have to switch between apps as often.

Google foresees this as being useful for users drafting emails about project introductions, potential partnerships, and more.

Advanced Aid

These updates for "Help me write" in Gmail are rolling out for Business, Enterprise, Consumer (Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra), and Education (add-on) customers. Google says it may take up to 15 days before users on Rapid and Scheduled Release domains see it.

Swooping in to help users draft emails is what "Help me write" is all about. Mobile users got this feature before web folks. Once the latter did get it, the feature was pretty much identical to the Android experience. After delivering a prompt, the AI would begin drafting an email you might be satisfied with. However, this computer introduction came with a new function: "polish."

This option replaced the old "refine my draft" button. For drafts over 12 words, the AI would go in and clean up the language and improve its clarity. Gmail got another AI-forward feature earlier this year with its AI Inbox. Gemini will scan your emails to generate quick summaries based on what it's seen. It's like giving you all the key points (hopefully) of your most recent emails, so you can respond to what's important when it matters.

Android Central's Take

You know, if you typically use this sort of feature, then that's good. If you don't, then it's also good. All I can really say is that if you're the former, make sure everything's the way it should be. This is Gen AI, after all. Mistakes can slip in. Word usage might get a little wonky, and you might not want to sound too informal with certain people.

What you need to know

• Google is reportedly building “Remy,” a Gemini-powered AI assistant designed to handle tasks and act more like a digital operator than a chatbot.
• Internal testing suggests Remy could manage work, school, and personal tasks directly inside the Gemini app.
• Additionally, new code found in the latest Google app beta hints at upgraded planning and autonomous agent features for Gemini.

Google is reportedly working on a much more proactive Gemini-powered AI assistant called “Remy," and it seems the company wants it to become something that can actually help you get things done, not just answer questions.

AI companies are moving beyond just answering questions and are now focusing on what’s called agentic AI. These new systems can take action for users, handle complex tasks, and learn your habits over time. Earlier this year, OpenClaw, an AI agent project supported by Sam Altman, brought this idea into the spotlight. Now, it looks like Google is getting ready to respond.

A Business Insider report says Google employees are already testing Remy internally. The assistant is said to be part of the Gemini app and works more like a digital operator than a regular chatbot. It can manage tasks for work, school, and personal life, and it learns your preferences as you use it.

If this is correct, it would be a big change from what Gemini does now. At the moment, Gemini can summarize emails, answer questions, create documents, and work with some Google services.

Agentic AI is the new battleground

However, in recent months, Google has expanded Gemini’s features across Workspace, Android, and Search, and has started turning the Gemini app into more of a central AI hub than just a chatbot.

Additionally, a new 9to5Google report mentions upgrades to Gemini’s planning and agent features, which suggests Google is getting the assistant ready for more independent tasks instead of just simple interactions. This is based on strings of code found in the latest Google app beta (version 17.20).

Meanwhile, Project Mariner, Google’s test browser agent that could do online tasks for users, has reportedly ended, with its technology now part of Gemini Agent. Basically, Google is bringing together years of AI assistant projects into one platform.

However, creating these assistants is not easy. Researchers have already raised big security concerns about AI agents like OpenClaw, especially since these systems often get access to emails, files, payment tools, and personal information.

While there’s no official launch date for Remy yet, there are more and more hints. Google recently said that 2026 will be “one of the biggest years for Android yet,” and Gemini is starting to take over features from the old Google Assistant on different devices.

With Google I/O coming up soon, we’ll probably hear much more about what’s next for Gemini.

Android Central's Take

It’s easy to understand why Google is moving quickly in this direction. An AI assistant that can manage schedules, make bookings, organize work, and handle repetitive tasks could really save people time. On the other hand, it feels a bit uneasy to give one company so much access to your life. The more helpful these AI agents get, the more data they need, and tech companies often focus on convenience first and worry about privacy later.

What you need to know

• temp

A staggering report states Google installed an incredibly large AI model on users' devices without their knowledge.

Word broke about Google reportedly installing a 4GB Gemini Nano model on users' computers from That Privacy Guy. Their blog post goes into fine detail; however, one glaring key point is that this file was downloaded without users knowing. The post states that this model is there to carry processes, such as "Help me write," AI-assisted browsing features, and AI scam detection while browsing.

Upon further inspection, Alexander Hanff (That Privacy Guy) says that this enormous 4GB download is triggered when "Chrome's AI features are active, and those features are active by default in recent Chrome versions."

This Gemini Nano model for Chrome's alleged "benefit" has been an object of discussion for Windows users, who've reported a sharp decline in their computer's storage (by 4GB to be exact). Moreover, users can't exactly run from this unwanted installation. Hanff states users who've never interacted with Chrome's AI features will still get this AI model downloaded onto their hard drives without their knowledge. Uninstalling it requires an extreme number of hoops to jump through, as Hanff states.

Users would need to discover the hidden path Google hid the AI model in on your machine, but it would just "silently re-download it on the next eligible window..."

Here's where things escalate. Hanff states that, with Chrome 147 (which many should already have), there is an AI Mode button on the far right of your address bar. Users can open a new tab to see this appear. One might think that this on-device AI model is useful for that, to handle tasks you might require it to do. Hanff says otherwise. The post states, "every query the user types into it is sent over the network to Google's servers for processing by Google's hosted models."

This development is creating a buzz, considering Google never asked users—any user—if they wanted to download this 4GB AI model onto their computer. On one hand, Hanff likens this behavior to what Anthropic did with Claude Desktop. Additionally, this might be illegal under U.K. and EEA law. This could be a breach of Article 5(3), with Hanff adding, "The 4 GB Gemini Nano weights file is information stored in the user's terminal equipment. The user did not consent."

We see these features, but did we need this?

Let's get something out of the way: many of the features this AI model "helps" with are tools we've already been exposed to. Back in April, Google expanded its browsing assistant to more countries. The feature can pull content from webpages or videos you've visited to help you plan trips or summarize long articles online. What's more, Nano Banana's involvement lets you transform images you see into something entirely new.

This feature is here, even if it is a little concerning. Those AI scam detection parameters have been around for a while longer on Android and desktop. To walk the same line as my colleague, Jay Bonggolto, we usually have these "you're in control" messages thrown at us about Google's AI—most AI, too. But then, you see a report like this, and it begs the question: are we?

Android Central's Take

I hate this. Flat out. I'll give credit where credit is due, my colleague Nicholas Sutrich came up with this headline, and I couldn't agree more. This is 4GB of my storage space, of my computer, that's gone to... Google and it's AI model? The answer is no, and the answer will always be no. I agree with Alexander Hanff, this is a breach in trust from a consumer's perspective. No one was asked if they wanted this ginormous AI model on their computer. No one was asked if this was "okay to do." It was just done, and Google is quiet about it.

What you need to know

• Google details its second major update today (May 5), rolling out an expanded set of automations, starters, and conditions for supported smart home devices.
• Devices include "Security & Access" control, appliances for "Start & Stop" parameters, automatic vacuum cleaners, and more.
• Public Preview prepares to roll out Ask Home for the web, giving computer users access to camera history and more, alongside "Quick Actions" in the app's notifications.

Google's rolling out a double featurette for its smart home environment today (May 5), giving its app users a more refined experience with their devices.

This morning, the company announced a few ways it's advancing its mobile app, beginning with a new set of "robust" automations, starters, and conditions for supported devices. While this might've been a pain point for some users, Google says it's rolling out expanded support for Security & Access control. Users will find controls for arming/disarming security systems, door lock monitoring, and binary sensors, such as contact/no contact or freeze/no freeze.

Appliance automations are getting a much-needed boost this week, too. Google says users can now set their "Start & Stop" state. Users will find "start, stop, pause, and resume" options for washers, dryers, and coffee machines. These capabilities extend to automatic vacuum cleaners, so you can tell it to "dock, pause, or resume" its duties. Additionally, users will find better support for device power management and "Switch events," meaning you can manage smart switch inputs, like "initial presses, long-presses, and release events."

The remaining support updates are as follows:

While these updates focus on controlling your smart home devices, Google highlights another area for improvement: smart home management.

The Google Home app is supposed to be your digital eye in the sky for everything involving your home. This update prepares users for two updates: Access Ask Home on Web and improved notifications. Regarding the latter, Google says Public Preview users can use "Quick Action" in a notification for "instant" device control. It adds that if you have multiple properties and receive an alert, the app will intelligently switch to that property without manual input.

The Access Ask Home on Web will arrive in Public Preview soon. This gives users a new way to check their camera history, devices, or create new automations, as this feature comes to computers.

A smarter home

The first update that rolled out today was all about Google Home's update for smart cameras and its AI. Now, the company says the two will work together to deliver a clearer story about what's happened around your home. Users can swipe through views, resize the player, and skip through clips in 10-second jumps. Elsewhere, Gemini 3.1 debuts in Google Home to upgrade the voice assistance model.

The new software makes it easier for the AI to understand and act on your complex tasks and multi-step requests without speaking more than you have to.

Google rolled out another patch at the start of May, which sought to upgrade the camera feed and media controls. What's more, Advanced plan Premium subscribers got their hands on new "AI Descriptors" for their smart cameras, playing right into the latest updates this week.

Android Central's Take

One of the best things about this update is the automations, starter, and condition expansion for devices. When we get to the point where we have complete customization and control, that's when it'll feel like a true smart home. It feels like Google's pushing us along to that eventuality, so our homes feel effortless. Just think about managing your coffee machine after this update. No more waiting around for that early morning coffee.

What you need to know

• The Google Home app gets a full refresh with faster performance, smoother scrolling, and a cleaner, more modern camera experience.
• Cameras now work together with AI to tell a clearer story, with new options for swiping between views, resizing the player, or skipping clips with 10-second jump buttons.
• Gemini 3.1 upgrades the voice assistant, letting you handle complex, multi-step commands in a single request.

Going through hours of security footage to find out who or what set off a motion alert has always been a tedious task. To address that, Google is launching a major Spring 2026 update for the Home app, including a modern, AI-powered camera experience and a smarter smart home system.

In the past, smart cameras worked alone and just saved raw video to a cluttered timeline. With this May update, your cameras now work together to give you a clear story of what’s happening around your home. Google said in a blog post that the app is much faster and smoother, with a new event details page that keeps the video player visible as you scroll. Google also improved the frame rates and reduced lag, so moving through your timeline feels quick and easy.

To make things even faster, there are new camera controls. You can swipe left or right to switch between your Timeline and Events, pull down to resize the video player, or swipe down to close the camera view. Google also added 10-second forward and backward buttons, making it easy to skip through your recorded events.

Action-focused previews

Event feeds are also getting a big visual update. Instead of still, hard-to-read thumbnails, you’ll now see zoomed-in animated previews that focus on the action, like a person, package, vehicle, or pet. If you’re looking for a specific event, you can quickly filter your list by options like "Person seen," "Glass break heard," or activity in a certain area.

Familiar face detection is also improving. The system now automatically cleans up your face library by removing low-quality images, such as blurry, ghosted, small, or side-view faces, to keep things accurate. To help train the AI, users now have thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback buttons on the familiar face previews.

You’ll need an Advanced plan of Google Home Premium to use Gemini-generated event descriptions. These smart event summaries are coming to older Nest cameras too, as long as you turn on the 'Gemini for Home camera features' in your settings. It’s now easier to find these options, since Google has simplified the camera settings menu and put all "seen" and "heard" events on one page.

Gemini 3.1 voice upgrades

The voice assistant is also getting much smarter. Early access users are being upgraded to Gemini 3.1, which brings better reasoning skills. Now, you can give complex, multi-step commands in one go, like adding new items to a list while updating others, and the system won’t get confused.

The update also adds more home automation options. You can now manage kitchen appliances, control robot vacuums, check smart lock statuses, and see battery levels. Ask Home on Web is coming soon to Public Preview, so you’ll be able to search camera history, check devices, and set up automations from your desktop.

Android Central's Take

I have to admit, living in a busy house with people and dogs setting off motion alerts every few minutes makes AI-generated summaries sound like a great feature. It really saves you from searching through endless false alarms. Still, letting Gemini watch, analyze, and describe every frame of my living room footage raises privacy concerns. While this update finally makes the app smooth and easy to use, be sure you’re comfortable with a cloud-based AI watching and describing your private life before you turn on this feature.

What you need to know

• AICore can temporarily use large storage when updating AI models in the background on your device.
• Google keeps both old and new AI models for up to three days as a fail-safe during updates.
• Storage used by AICore is automatically freed once the new AI model is confirmed stable.

If you have the AICore app installed on your Android phone and have noticed it taking up an unusually large amount of storage, Google has finally explained why that happens.

Over the past few years, companies like Google and Samsung have been pushing on-device AI across their phones. On most flagship Android phones, a big part of that functionality is handled by the AICore app.

The AICore app is essentially a system service that powers on-device Gemini Nano on Android. It enables offline and private AI features like smart replies and notification summaries on devices such as the Pixel 10 Pro. But if you've noticed it using a lot of storage, you're not alone — some users have reported it taking up as much as 11GB.

Google has now updated its AICore support page to explain this behavior. The company says you may "occasionally find that this service uses a larger amount of storage than expected." As per the support page, this happens when it's updating to a new version of an AI model in the background.

To make sure everything works reliably, AICore temporarily keeps both the old and new versions of the AI model on your device for up to three days. This acts as a fail-safe, allowing the system to roll back instantly if something goes wrong during the update, without requiring you to download large files again.

Google also says that this extra storage is freed up automatically once the update is confirmed to be stable, so you don't need to take any action.

Honestly, this approach does make sense. If the app removed the older model right away and the update failed, you'd have to re-download several gigabytes of data and lose access to AI features in the meantime. This method makes the whole process more reliable.

What you need to know

• Google could finally be opening Gemini to third-party speakers, with Walmart likely first in line.
• A new Onn speaker listing reveals Gemini onboard, featuring Google Cast for Audio support, smart home controls, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 10W driver.
• While official pricing is under wraps, the Onn model is expected to undercut Google’s own unreleased $100 Home Speaker.

Google seems to be opening up its Gemini AI to third-party smart speakers, and Walmart looks set to be the first to take advantage.

A new Onn smart speaker has appeared on the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) website, first spotted by a Reddit user. The listing hints at Gemini running inside, not the older Google Assistant we’re used to (via Android Authority).

Since late 2023, there haven’t been any third-party smart speakers using Google’s latest AI. The last major ones were JBL’s Authentics 200, 300, and 500, which came with Assistant built in.

The first of its kind

Now, Google has been quietly focusing on Gemini for Home and has offered early access on its own speakers for the past year. But no third-party devices have launched with Gemini until this Walmart leak came along.

The CSA filing says it supports Google Cast for Audio, smart home controls, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, physical playback buttons, LED indicators, and a 10W driver. For those concerned about privacy, it also has a far-field mic array with a hardware kill switch. When you flip the switch, the mic is completely off, with no software involved.

The listing shows the speaker has a compact, simple design, matching Walmart’s affordable Onn products. There’s no price yet, but based on Onn’s history, it will likely cost less than Google’s $100 Home Speaker, which also hasn’t been released yet.

It remains unclear when the smart speaker becomes available. Walmart hasn’t made any official announcements, but the CSA listing suggests the launch could be soon. After all, new Onn 4K streaming sticks and Pro models have already appeared in stores quietly.

Android Central's Take

While it’s good to see someone besides Google taking the lead, it’s a bit surprising that Walmart is first. I use “At a Glance” on several devices and have been hoping Google would open up its best AI features. But putting Gemini in a budget Onn speaker feels a bit like putting a powerful engine in a basic machine. Although it’s great for users who don’t want to spend over $100 on a Nest, I wonder if the hardware can really keep up with what the software can do.

What you need to know

• Gemini Notebooks are now on mobile, and for once, Google isn’t hiding the good stuff behind a paywall.
• The feature turns Gemini into a project hub, letting you group chats and files instead of juggling random threads.
• Your existing NotebookLM notebooks sync to mobile, and you can save chats directly into them as sources.

Notebooks, which first appeared on the web as a research-focused tool, are now available on mobile through Google Gemini. This time, both free and paid users can use the feature directly in the app, without any paywalls.

If you didn’t catch the first launch, Google began connecting Gemini and NotebookLM back in December. At first, it was only on the web and let the chatbot use your research sources. Earlier this month, Google added notebooks right inside Gemini, giving you a place to organize files and chats by project.

Previously, only users with AI Premium, Pro, or Ultra plans could use this feature. Now, the NotebookLM team shared on X that it’s available to everyone in the Gemini mobile app.

How it works on your phone

These notebooks work like powerful project folders. Rather than scrolling through a long list of unrelated chats, you can group conversations and documents together. For example, if you’re planning a trip or looking into a new phone, you can keep all related chats in one notebook.

Now, your unshared notebooks from NotebookLM show up in the Gemini app, and you can save your mobile chats into those notebooks as sources.

Keep in mind that everyone can use the feature, but the number of sources you can add to each notebook depends on your subscription plan:

• Free users: 50 sources
• AI Plus users: 100 sources
• Pro users: 300 sources
• Ultra users: 600 sources

The rollout is now live for most users around the world on the Gemini app. If you’re in Europe, watch for updates. Google says more European countries will get access soon, but there’s no exact date yet.

Android Central's Take

I think this is a rare win for those of us who don’t want to pay for a monthly subscription just to use Google’s servers. Having a research assistant on my phone is genuinely useful for more than just summarizing emails. Still, this “gift” is also a smart way for Google to keep us using their platform. With only 50 sources per free notebook, Google is betting that we’ll eventually get annoyed by the limits and upgrade to a premium plan.

What you need to know

• Amidst Alphabet's earnings call this week, Google's chief business officer, Philipp Schindler, said that ads could be considered for Gemini.
• First, the company is said to be chasing an ad format for AI Mode, and if this performs well, it seems like they could be headed to the Gemini app.
• There were reports late in 2025 that said Google was thinking of doing just this, but it was quickly declined by another executive at the time.

There are times when it seems like ads are everywhere, and that may continue as Google reportedly chases a new venture for its AI.

Alphabet, Google's parent company, had its Q1 2026 earnings call this week, and BusinessWire reports that ads for Gemini are back on the table. Putting this into perspective, Philipp Schindler, Google's chief business officer, commented about ads, stating, "But let's also be clear, ads have always been a big part of scaling products to reach billions of people." Schindler adds, "And if done well, ads can be really valuable and really helpful commercial information..."

There still seems to be some work going on behind-the-scenes, as "at the right moment we'll share any plans as we have said, but we're not rushing anything here," per Schindler's statement. This is where our focus is right now. According to Schindler during the earnings call, Google will focus its outlook on ads on AI Mode first.

This would fit well with the ads already present in AI Overviews, as BusinessWire points out; however, Schindler states that there's "belief" behind the ad format Google has planned for AI Mode. It's also this belief that would see this same ad format arrive in the Gemini app if all goes well.

Ads & Revenue

We get into an interesting narrative here, as this isn't the first time we've heard about a chance for ads in the Gemini app. This first started in December, when word broke on social media that Google was "holding calls with advertisers" in preparation to bring ads to the Gemini app in 2026. There was very little information about how users would see ads arrive, and whether it would be for the web app only or for mobile, too.

What was clear was a statement shortly after by Google Ads product liaison, Ginny Marvin. They stated, "In short, there are no ads in the Gemini app, and there are no current plans to change that." Ads in AI Overviews were reportedly the only place Google focused on to remain "helpful," not frowned upon. However, given Philipp Schindler's recent comments this week, that might change.

Alphabet's earnings call went off without a hitch earlier this week, as the company posted strong Q1 growth. The company posted $109.9B in revenue, adding that it rose 22% YoY (year over year), as well. AI was given a gold star, well, Gemini was, as it was the main culprit behind the growth spurt in Search, Cloud, and subscriptions. Alphabet also said it was doubling down on AI moving forward.

What you need to know

• Google Home starts rolling out a major update this week for its app and Gemini for Home early access.
• All users are receiving an updated media control experience across several smart devices, while Advanced plan Premium users get new "AI descriptors" for their smart cameras.
• Google says it's updated Gemini's context understanding, which plays right into its recent Continued Conversations update.

Google's smart home environment is taking a visual step forward late this week with an update that focuses on your cameras.

Google shared details regarding its recent Home app update, which introduces an updated camera experience for smart homeowners. The patch that's started rolling out has "modernized the camera user experience with dynamic theming." A major feature Google Home Premium (Advanced plan) subscribers can expect is "AI descriptions." What users should now expect from the AI are clearer, more accurate descriptions of what your cameras have experienced.

Google says this should help make it easy to look back at your camera's history. Event search history results are "quicker" now in Ask Home. Google also refined its camera settings, making them easier to find. Moreover, updating familiar face detection and Activity Zones should be faster, as well. The Home app now displays "seen and heard" events on one page for convenience in this update.

Relinking a device that's gone offline has been made easier. The changelog states users will now receive an "instant account-relinking prompt that lets you connect your devices in one click." The media control updates included this week concern all Google Home users. All users can take advantage of the new, enhanced media control experience for music and videos across "smart speakers, smart displays, Google TV streamers, and other Cast devices."

Gemini for Home gets refined

The early access Gemini for Home experience gets two key refinements this week, too. Google leads off by stating it has taken another look at how the AI interprets the context of your commands. As a result, Gemini's contextual logic update should "reduce errors and interruptions." Additionally, Gemini's response times for device commands have been upgraded for English, French, and Spanish-speaking users "in supported countries."

Google says users may notice a quicker response time when giving Gemini commands for lights and plugs.

The company's update to Gemini contextual logic plays right into a recent Continued Conversations update. The purpose of this was two-fold: not only did it keep the AI's metaphorical ears open longer, but it gives the user time to finish their thought completely or engage in follow-up questions/commands. Google says this feature was highly requested in its early access. Gemini will now "remember" the conversation, as it stays active for a few seconds more.

Android Central's Take

I've been pretty impressed with what Google's been doing with its smart home environment lately. It's truly been rolling out updates, especially some that adhere to user feedback (which is always important). It makes me wonder what it's preparing for I/O. We've been on this Gemini for Home train for several months now, but I can't help wondering what else is in the pipeline.

If you've followed any Google announcements recently or used its apps over the past couple of years, you've probably noticed one thing, everything is now about AI. From Gmail and Google Drive to Docs and even Messages, Gemini has made its way into almost every Google app, whether you asked for it or not.

For me, AI still feels like a bit of a buzzword. There are only a handful of use cases on my phone that I actually find useful. If you're in the same boat and want to cut down on Google AI features across your apps, this guide will walk you through how to do exactly that.

What you should know before disabling Google AI on your phone

As important as it sounds, there is unfortunately no single switch to disable AI across your Android phone. That's partly because different manufacturers have implemented AI features in their own way, but I still feel there should at least be a universal toggle to turn off Gemini across apps.

The good news is that you can still disable Gemini across multiple Google apps, along with some Pixel-specific AI features, if you know where to look in the settings. And if you change your mind later, you can always turn these features back on just as easily.

Below, I'll walk you through how to disable Google AI features across apps like Messages, Gmail, Google Photos, and even some Pixel-exclusive tools. I've used the Pixel 10 Pro for this, but the steps should be fairly similar on most Android phones.

Google Messages

If you've opened the Messages app on your Android phone and found the Gemini button sitting above the plus icon a bit annoying, you can easily turn it off. Personally, I also think it's better to keep Gemini out of the same space where you handle your personal conversations.

1. Open the Google Messages app.

2. Tap the Profile icon on the top right.

3. Select Messages settings.

4. Scroll down and tap Gemini in Messages.

5. Disable the toggle for Show Gemini button.

Gmail

Gemini has also slowly made its way into Gmail, whether it's showing updates for your online orders, tracking flights, suggesting ways to polish your emails, or more recently introducing an AI-powered inbox. Similar to Google Messages, you'll need to go into Gmail's settings to turn these features off.

1. Open the Gmail app on your phone.

2. Tap the hamburger menu in the top left and go to Settings.

3. In Settings, select your email account and then find Google Workspace smart features.

4. Open it and disable both Smart features in Google Workspace and Smart features in other Google products.

This will disable Gemini and AI features not just in Gmail, but across Workspace apps like Google Chat, Drive, and Meet. If you disable the second toggle as well, Gemini will also be removed from services like Google Wallet and some smart features in Google Maps

Google Photos

With the past couple of updates, Google has also replaced the normal search in Google Photos with Gemini-powered feature called Ask Photos. Other than that, there are also other AI features in Google Photos such as remixes, photo to video, memories, and much more. If you don't want Google's AI creeping into your personal photos, here is how you can disable:

1. Open the Google Photos app.

2. Tap the Profile icon from the top right and then select Photos settings.

3. Tap Preferences and then Gemini features in Photos. Disable the Gemini features that you don't need. If you don't need any of them, you can just disable the topmost Use Gemini in Photos toggle.

Phone app

If you own a Google Pixel smartphone, chances are Google has added a bunch of AI features into core apps, including the Phone app. While some of these features, like Call Screen and Hold for Me, can be useful, not everyone wants them enabled all the time. If you'd rather keep things simple, you can turn them off.

1. Head over to the Phone app on your phone.

2. Tap the hamburger menu in the top left corner and go to Settings.

3. Under the Call Assist section, you'll see all the AI-powered features. Tap on any feature and disable the toggle for it.

Pixel Screenshots

If you own a Google Pixel 9 or Pixel 10 series phone, your device comes with the Pixel Screenshots app that analyzes every screenshot you take to give you contextual info later. While this can be useful in some cases, like saving details or pulling info from an image, there's also a chance you don't want all your screenshots being analyzed:

1. Open the Pixel Screenshots app on your phone.

2. Tap the gear icon in the top right corner.

3. Disable the toggle for Search your screenshots with on-device AI.

Alternatively, you can go into the app info page and disable the Pixel Screenshots app entirely if you don't plan on using it.

These are some of the ways you can get rid of Google AI across apps on your phone. If you don't want to use Gemini at all, you can simply disable the app itself, which breaks its integrations across other apps and essentially turns off AI features on your device.

I've felt for a while that while some AI features are genuinely useful, most of them still have a pretty low hit rate and aren't as practical as companies make them sound. Personally, I prefer keeping things simple, and this is how I go about it.

What you need to know

• Google Assistant is officially getting replaced by Gemini in cars with Google built-in, available to current owners via an over-the-air software update.
• You can finally speak naturally, ask contextual follow-up questions for navigation, and edit dictated texts on the fly.
• The AI integrates with your specific vehicle's hardware and owner's manual to offer customized troubleshooting.

Google is replacing the familiar Google Assistant on your car's dashboard with something more conversational: Gemini. If your car has Google built-in, this upgrade is coming sooner than you might think.

When Google first put its software directly into vehicle dashboards in 2020, the company promised your car would actually get smarter over time. This update delivers on that promise. Gemini will be available not only in new cars, but also in your current vehicle through an over-the-air update.

The main change is that you no longer need to use strict commands. Now, you can talk to your car naturally. For example, if you want a highly rated sit-down restaurant with outdoor seating along your route, just ask. The assistant uses Google Maps to find options, and you can ask follow-up questions like "Do they have vegetarian options?" or check on parking.

Navigation is now more aware of your situation. You can ask if a stadium event will affect your drive or report an accident in your lane to help others. Texting while driving is also smarter. Gemini can summarize incoming texts so you can reply with all the details. You can even edit your message as you dictate without starting over.

For music and media, the software works with apps like YouTube Music and understands your requests. On longer trips, the new Gemini Live beta lets you have a free-flowing conversation that you can pause or interrupt. You can tap the Gemini Live button or say "Hey Google, let's talk" to get ideas for hiking trails in Tahoe.

Your virtual mechanic

Google worked with car makers to build the AI into your car’s hardware. This means you can ask how to prepare your model for an automatic car wash or how to adjust the trunk height for a low garage, and it will give you specific answers. Keep in mind, the level of detail depends on your car’s brand and model.

If you drive an EV, you’ll get real-time updates about your battery. You can check your estimated battery level when you arrive, look for nearby chargers, or even ask Gemini to find a cafe where you can relax while your car charges.

The update will first be available in English in the United States, with more countries and languages coming soon. To get the upgrade, make sure you’re signed into your Google account in your car. Once it’s ready, you can press your steering wheel button, tap the mic, or just say "Hey Google" to start using it.

Soon, the assistant will be able to safely access your Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Home data right from the driver’s seat.

Android Central's Take

I like being able to talk naturally instead of memorizing commands, especially when handling navigation, messages, and music at once. That said, Google has promised smarter assistants before, but they haven't always worked well in real life. If Gemini stays accurate and doesn’t misunderstand you while driving, it’s a win. Otherwise, it could end up as another overhyped feature you ignore after a week, except now it’s built into your car.

What you need to know

• Gemini can now create and download files like PDFs, Word, Excel, and Google Docs directly within chats.
• You no longer need to copy and paste content, as Gemini can generate files in your desired format instantly.
• Supported formats include Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDF, DOCX, XLSX, CSV, TXT, RTF, and Markdown files.

Google finally seems to be adding a feature users have been asking for since Gemini launched: the ability to create and download common files directly from the chatbot.

Ever since Gemini launched, I've had numerous people asking if they can generate a file and download it straight from the chat, and it looks like Google is finally making that possible.

Google today (April 29, 2026) announced that Gemini can now create PDFs, Microsoft Word, Excel files, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more directly within a conversation. That means you can ask Gemini to create something like a PDF on a topic and download it instantly, without needing to export it to another app first.

PowerPoint export is oddly missing for now

Until now, you'd have to copy, paste, and reformat everything manually into the format you needed. With this update, Gemini can handle that step for you. In Google's example, you can ask it to turn a budget into an Excel sheet or convert notes into a PDF or Word document directly.

According to Google, supported formats include Docs, Sheets, Slides, .pdf, .docx, .xlsx, .csv, LaTeX, TXT, RTF, and Markdown. It's worth noting that there's no direct Microsoft PowerPoint export yet, although you can still export to Google Slides and then download it as a PPT file.

Google says this feature is rolling out to all Gemini users starting today. If you don't see it yet, it's likely part of a gradual rollout and should show up soon.

Android Central's Take

This is a huge update, and honestly, Google should be shouting about it more. I've had countless people ask me for this exact feature since Gemini launched, and the fact that it just quietly dropped in a blog post feels a bit underwhelming.

What you need to know

• Rumors allege that Google is working on "Proactive Assistance," a feature that will help the AI offer timely "suggestions" throughout the day.
• There's a chance Google is working on letting Gemini lean on your Personal Intelligence data and apps, like Gmail, as it takes your notifications into account.
• This new rumor is along the lines of a previous report that said Gemini could get "Your Day," a feature similar to Samsung's Now Brief.

With rumors saying Google is working on new features for Gemini, what's surfaced recently could be the umbrella under which everything sits.

The latest was discovered by 9to5Google, which claims the company is working on a "Proactive Assistance" feature for the Gemini app. This feature is reportedly designed to leverage your chosen connected apps to surface "personalized suggestions." The publication cites an APK dive it conducted, which supposedly highlighted the feature's secure handling of your data.

It adds that this is because Proactive Assistance can use your content in Gmail and Calendar.

In leveraging the data in such apps (and likely other Workspace-related apps), Proactive Assistance will use "your notifications and what's on your screen," per the post. This is still pretty barebones, as the publication's APK dive only unearthed these mentions within the Gemini app's code. It's still unclear just what Proactive Assistance will look like and how it'll get this stuff done. What's more, the post states that Google's early code highlights its ability to surface suggestions "at the right time."

Perhaps this is when an email comes through, as the code mentioned that notifications were part of this. There's a chance Gemini could proactively snatch any important dates from there with an option to add them to your Calendar app.

Busy, busy Gemini

This is where things get interesting because, as previously noted, we've had prior rumors about Gemini getting more proactive with users. A report earlier this month claimed that Google was working on "Your Day," a feature that, early on, sounds similar to Samsung's Now Brief. It was alleged that "Your Day" would lean on Gemini's Personal Intelligence with a link to your Connected apps for a "proactive feed" and card. These could be highlights and things to remember for the day ahead.

Funnily enough, 9to5 mentions this older leak, too, stating Google has supposedly renamed it to "Daily Brief." Regarding Personal Intelligence, Gemini recently got an upgrade with Google's rollout of Nano Banana 2 support. Now, if the AI is able to see your content stored in Photos, users can generate images based on those memories for a wacky new creation. Its capabilities go beyond Photos, too, with support for your history, video history, and more.

What you need to know

• Gemini in Google Chrome is finally rolling out across Asia-Pacific, hitting desktops and iOS in markets like the Philippines, Japan, and Australia.
• It also pulls context from tools like Google Maps and YouTube, so you can plan trips or get video insights faster.
• New Nano Banana tools let you edit or generate images with text prompts directly inside Chrome.

For several months now, the U.S. and a few other markets have enjoyed a built-in AI assistant in Chrome. Now, the rest of Asia-Pacific is finally getting the same feature.

Google is officially launching Gemini in Chrome across much of the Asia-Pacific region. The move brings its advanced browsing assistant to desktops and iOS devices in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam.

For starters, this is more than just a chatbot in a side panel. Google is building Gemini right into the Chrome workflow. The idea is to get rid of the constant switching between multiple tabs, be it a travel blog, Google Maps, or your email just to plan a weekend trip.

You get a personalized assistant in the side panel that can summarize long articles or compare data across several open tabs at once. The real advantage, though, is how it works with other apps. Without leaving your current page, you can ask Calendar to schedule meetings or reminders based on what you’re reading, or quickly pull up location details and travel times.

You can also turn information from a webpage into a ready-to-send email draft in Gmail, or ask specific questions about a YouTube video’s content without having to watch the entire video.

Creative tools and Nano Banana

Google is also adding Nano Banana features. This allows you to transform images you find online using simple text prompts right in the Gemini side panel. This builds on the generative AI tools from the Pixel lineup, now available in the world’s most popular browser.

Gemini is also getting Personal Intelligence. This means it can remember the context of your earlier conversations. For example, if you asked about hiking gear yesterday and search for "best boots" today, the assistant will give you more personalized results.

To address security concerns, Google says these models are trained to spot prompt injections and other AI-specific threats. Importantly, Gemini will always ask for your confirmation before doing anything sensitive, so it won’t book flights or send emails without your clear approval.

However, if you’re in Japan, Gemini in Chrome is only available on desktop for now. The iOS version isn’t out there yet.

What you need to know

• Google Home is rolling out an update for its "Gemini for Home" early access, upgrading the AI with "Continued Conversations."
• This highly requested feature helps Gemini "remember" the conversation and keep the device's mic active for a few seconds, so users can add-on to their requests.
• Gemini for Home recently updated the AI with better musical capabilities for songs and playlists, as well as understanding for casual speech.

Early access runs can be rocky, but in Google's case, it says these tests have given it a wealth of feedback, facilitating the arrival of a "top request" this week.

Announced this morning (Apr 21), Google says Gemini in Home is receiving a highly requested feature this week that helps refine its conversational aspect. The primary goal with this feature is to keep the conversation going, as the feature is aptly named "Continued Conversation." The AI retains more "context" with this update. Google says that, unlike the old Assistant (bye, Assistant), Gemini "remembers" your conversation thread for better follow-up Q&As.

Users will notice that saying "Hey Google" and giving their initial request will keep Gemini's microphones open for a few seconds longer. Moreover, the lights on your smart home devices will pulse. This is that extended conversational context window, so Gemini is ready for any additional requests.

The post adds that Continued Conversation is available for everyone in the home, including guests. Additionally, it has received multilingual support, as other regions receive it this week, alongside the U.S.

Gemini has been given "side-talk" detection, too. Google states this helps the AI better distinguish between household chatter and a genuine request for it. Users can find and activate Continued Conversation in the following steps: Home Settings > Gemini for Home voice assistant > Continued Conversation.

Gemini loves to talk

Better understanding of user requests has been a strong focus for Google recently. An earlier update helped make the AI feel a little less robotic. Google removed the necessity for specific commands, as Gemini is reportedly capable of understanding "casual phrases." Now, you shouldn't have to repeat yourself constantly just because Gemini can't understand you. This update also included its device recognition, so it shouldn't mix up lamps and lights.

An update this past week saw Gemini becoming a better home DJ. The AI can understand the songs and playlists you want, and play them right when you ask. For busy houses, Gemini's task management capabilities go up a notch for editing lists and completing "complex, multi-step" tasks.

Android Central's Take

Android Auto has been around for more than a decade, and it’s an amazing solution for staying connected with your phone safely while driving. Most cars support a wired Android Auto connection, so make sure you have the best cables for the job. Wireless Android Auto is increasingly common in many new car models, not just premium ones. Plus, Google keeps updating Auto with new features like support for Google Meet in Android Auto.

While it works great out of the box, there are a few settings I always tweak every time I use a new phone with my car. These are simple toggle switches that can make a world of difference when using Android Auto daily, and all of them can be done via your phone itself. Here are my top five settings and tweaks that I recommend making if you’ve just set it up.

Stop music from auto-playing when connected

One of the most annoying default settings of Android Auto is that your music will start playing automatically as soon as your phone connects to your car. It can be very jarring at night if you had the volume turned all the way up the last time you used the car. It can also be downright embarrassing, depending on who’s in the car with you, and your secret guilty pleasure music starts blaring. Keep your dignity by simply disabling this toggle switch.

On your phone, head to Settings, and search for Android Auto. In the settings menu, scroll down to the Start-up sub-menu and disable Start music automatically. That’s it. Now the next time you connect your phone, your music will be in the paused state.

Minimize notification distractions from apps

By default, most messaging apps and some media apps (YouTube Music, Spotify) installed on your phone will appear in the Android Auto app drawer. Any notifications from these apps will also pop up on your screen as alerts. When driving, the last thing you want is spam alerts from insurance companies distracting you from the road. There are two ways to disable notifications.

To minimize the audible pings, head to the settings menu of Android Auto, scroll down to the Messaging sub-menu, and simply disable Play message chime. This will at least stop the audible alerts, but will still show you incoming messages. If you wish to stop this as well, you can simply disable the first sub-menu item called Show message notifications.

Another way to do this is to disable any unwanted apps from the app drawer so those notifications are automatically eliminated. From the same settings menu on your phone, scroll up to Customize Launcher, and simply uncheck the apps you don’t wish to use with Android Auto.

Prevent Android Auto from automatically starting up

One of the great things about Android Auto is that it seamlessly starts up when you start your car, but not everyone might want it set up this way. Android Auto does drain your battery quicker when connected wirelessly to your car's head unit, and you might not always need it if you prefer tuning in to the radio or don't need maps for shorter trips.

Unfortunately, there's no dedicated setting for this in Android Auto itself at the moment. None of the selectable options in the Start Android Auto automatically menu allows you to do this. One workaround that has proven to work for me is to disable the toggle Start Android Auto while locked.

In doing so, your phone will still connect to your car via Bluetooth (for calls), but Android Auto won't start, provided your phone is locked. If you do need to enable Android Auto in the middle of your drive, you should see a notification on your phone that says "Android Auto is available," and tapping it should launch it. You could also manually enable it via your car's dashboard.

Create Shortcuts for frequent tasks

You can give voice commands to Google Assistant to call a contact or find places along your route. If you’re one of the lucky ones, chances are that you already have Gemini in Android Auto, which is far superior in terms of understanding instructions. However, there will be times when Assistant is simply unable to understand what you’re asking it to do due to wind noise if you’re driving with the window down or noisy kids in the back seat. In times like these, it’s good to have shortcuts for frequently used actions already set up.

In Android Auto settings on your phone, tap Customize Launcher, then tap Add a shortcut to the Launcher. You can set shortcuts for "Call a contact" or "An Assistant action." The former is self-explanatory as it basically lets you create a one-tap call shortcut for a contact. The latter is where it gets interesting, as it lets you create any command that you’d typically give Assistant, such as “find all gas stations near me.” You can then label it and even test it out (Android Auto needs to be active for this) before saving it.

Once you create these shortcuts, you can then go back and reorder them to the top of the list so that they are the first icons you see when you open the app drawer in Android Auto. Now, your favorite contacts and most used actions are just a tap away.

Enable quick controls

Under the same Android Auto settings menu, enable the toggle called Taskbar widgets. What this does is let you control music playback from the taskbar, even if you have another app like Maps open in full screen. By default, the taskbar will show you other apps, but doing so means your passenger can’t pause or skip a track if you have another app in full-screen mode.

These are some very simple yet important tweaks you can do to Android Auto for a safer and more enjoyable drive. Have an essential tip that’s missing here? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

What you need to know

• Google's Gemini receives a major personalization upgrade this week, as the AI uses Personal Intelligence and Nano Banana 2.
• Now, users can tell the AI to generate a quirky photo of them and their family without being so long-winded.
• Depending on your simple prompt, Gemini will dive into your photos, history, video history, and more to create what it believes you're seeking.
• Gemini's personalized image creation is rolling out "over the next few days" for subscribed AI Pro, Plus, and Ultra users.

Gemini's popular image generator, Nano Banana, is getting a huge, personal upgrade that's all about recognizing who you and your family members are.

A press release teased the personal touch Gemini can give the images you want it to create using Nano Banana. To put it plainly, Google announced today (Apr 16) that Gemini's Personal Intelligence can now leverage your memories stored in the Photos app and Nano Banana 2 to create AI reworks of you and your loved ones. Users can connect their Photos app to Personal Intelligence, so the AI can "use actual images of your loved ones to guide the image generation process."

To get this done, Google says Gemini will lean heavily on the labels you've placed on your photos. This enables the AI to complete an image generation task without you needing to say too much. One example provided was, "Generate an image of me and my family doing our favourite activity." While it might seem vague to an outside party, for Gemini (and your labeled photos), it should know exactly what you're talking about.

Moreover, users can get specific by telling Gemini to generate the image in a claymation style or with watercolors, as an oil painting, and more. We've been down this road before, as Google reminds users that Gemini—an AI—can make mistakes. What's more, it might not even pick the right photos to use for its generation process.

If that happens, users can tap the plus icon to select a more appropriate photo. Google adds that it does not use your photos as training material for Gemini. This feature is also completely optional, meaning you don't have to give Gemini access to your photos, nor do you have to engage with Personal Intelligence if you don't want to.

Who you are pushes Gemini further

This integration for Personal Intelligence and Nano Banana 2 goes beyond mixing you and your family into generated content. Google says that by looping in what Personal Intelligence knows about you—your tastes and lifestyle—it can create images from simple requests. If you were to tell Gemini to "design my dream house," it would do its best by leveraging the information it knows about you. This might come from your YouTube history or even your most basic Google searches.

Gemini's new image generation capabilities will begin rolling out "over the next few days" to eligible Google AI Pro, AI Plus, and AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. The post teases that there are plans to bring this capability to desktop Chrome users and more "soon."

Nano Banana was incredibly popular, but its second iteration took that several steps forward. Nano Banana 2 launched in February and quickly became the AI's default image generator, replacing the first. This version is faster and much more precise when listening to the user's request. What's more, Nano Banana 2 now offers its generated content at 512px to 4K resolution across a selection of aspect ratios.

What you need to know

• Google announced that it's making the Gemini app available for macOS computers v15 or higher today (Apr 15).
• The app brings a native shortcut, which surfaces Gemini for quick questions and answers, as well as AI image/video generation.
• Apple users can also share their window's content with Gemini to better understanding and more accurate help.

Apple users are getting a major boost in their AI capabilities today (Apr 15), thanks to Google's software arriving on desktop.

Google announced this morning that it's bringing the Gemini app to Apple's macOS devices. The post highlights this as a "native desktop experience" for Mac. One of its capabilities that Google mentions is the ability for users to take advantage of shortcuts. When you're busy multitasking and hopping between windows, Google says you can surface Gemini using the Option+Space shortcut. It adds that doing so won't remove you from the current window.

A quick Q&A session, drafting help for documents, or AI-generated images and videos are all possible through this shortcut for Gemini.

However, for those instances when you need Gemini to "see" exactly what you're talking about, Google points macOS users toward the "Share Window" option. Once the Gemini app is on your computer, Google says you can "share anything on your screen with Gemini to get help with exactly what you’re looking at, including local files." Sharing the content of your window can be accompanied by a prompt (or question), so Gemini knows exactly what you're looking for.

The Gemini app for macOS users is available today (Apr 15) for devices with v15 and higher. Google says this is rolling out for computers globally, as its download is now available.

Integrated, like it was meant to be

This announcement of a "native" experience for macOS devices comes a few months after Google and Apple announced a multi-year collaboration. The collaboration involved the two companies finding ways to integrate Gemini into Apple's next-gen devices to enable "enhanced AI features." It was stated that Gemini would empower Apple's Siri, while also unifying AI for Android and iOS. Apple also stated that it would "retain user privacy," as it leverages Google's AI software.

Apple's iPhones got the Gemini app officially a couple of years ago. The debut was accompanied by Imagen 3, but it also brought Gemini Live, which was a boon for students looking to study. Its capabilities were pretty much identical to what Android users received, but for those who were missing out.

Android Central's Take

Since Apple's iPhone has the app, it only makes sense macOS would get it, too. It did take a while, and that's likely because of the integrations Google seemingly wanted to make for it. I'm sure users on a Mac would find this useful. If you consider the fact that the alternative would be to head to Gemini on the web, having the AI right at your fingertips makes a huge difference.