Google I/O 2025 Live Blog: Gemini, Android 16, and everything we know so far

Earlier this month, Google announced that Gemini 2.5 Flash would be powering NotebookLM, while stating that the NotebookLM mobile app would be launching at I/O 2025. It seems that Google couldn't stand to wait just one more day, as the NotebookLM app is now available to download from the Google Play Store.

The upgrade to Gemini 2.5 Flash is important, as it brings "advanced reasoning techniques," and provides "more comprehensive answers, particularly to complex, multi-step reasoning questions." Until now, NotebookLM was only available on the web, with many hoping that a mobile app would be released. Thankfully for some, the wait is officially over.

Initially, we didn't think that Android 16 was going to be a massive update. With Beta 1, Google implemented changes that allow apps to better adapt to fit larger screens, such as when you're using a foldable and go from the cover screen to the inner screen.

Another new feature is called "Live Updates," which is similar to Apple's Live Activities. This puts a constantly-updating notification in your notification shade, providing up-to-the-minute information from various apps.

Beta 2 was focused on the camera, as a new "hybrid auto-exposure mode" was made available for developers. Plus, Google added support for AVIF formatting and UltraHDR support for HEIC-formatted images.

We know Google will have more to say about Android 16, especially after showing off Material 3 Expressive during The Android Show. However, we also can't help but wonder if the company will take the time to explain why Android is now on an "accelerated timeline."

Traditionally, a new version of Android is released in the Fall, with the first beta usually arriving a month or so before I/O. Android 16 changes all of that, as the first Developer Preview landed in November 2024, just a little more than a month after Android 15 dropped.

While we don't know yet for sure, leaks and rumors suggest an early-June release for the final Android 16 build.

Now that we've recapped what I/O 2024 had for us, it's time to try and figure out what I/O might have in store. As mentioned yesterday, we know that there will be as much AI and Gemini that Google can fit, but we expect to also learn more about the Android XR platform.

We don't need to go far in order to start putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The Google I/O 2025 website has a page dedicated to the variety of Keynotes and Sessions that will be on tap. Of these, there are four "Focus Areas," including AI, Android, Cloud, and Web.

Of course, these are geared towards developers, as this is a developer conference after all. But Google also makes these sessions available for anyone, even if you couldn't make your way to the Shoreline Amphitheater to be there in person.

To accompany Android 15, Wear OS 5 was introduced, which is actually based on Android 14. Nevertheless, this update offered a mixture of customization and health and fitness tracking enhancements while also aiming to improve battery life.

A variety of new watch faces were made available, in addition to four running form measurements: Ground Contact Time, Stride Length, Vertical Oscillation, and Vertical Ratio. This, along with new workout watch face compilations and "debounced goals," showed us that Google was attempting to appeal to the Fitbit user base. As Fitbit wearables waned, the company hoped these changes would result in more interest in the Pixel Watch lineup.

You didn't think that Google would make it through I/O 2024 without bringing some AI magic to Android, did you? Circle to Search, first introduced in January 2024, was updated to handle "complex math and physics problems." But Google didn't just implement the upgrade and call it a day, instead, it ensured that you could see the steps, which could help you learn how to solve the problems on your own.

Additionally, Google announced that Gemini Nano with multimodality would be arriving on select Pixel phones later in the year. At the time, Google focused on how this functionality would improve Android's "TalkBack" feature by making it so devices could "process text with a better understanding of sounds, sights, and even spoken language."

It wouldn’t be for another four months before the final version of Android 15 would be released, with Android 15 Beta 2 being released on Day 2 of I/O 2024. The update was relatively minor, but it introduced new features such as “Private Space,” letting you hide apps in a separate area on your phone.

Android 15 Beta 2 also brought about the floating taskbar that could be pinned to the bottom of the screen. It’s a feature that has become absolutely essential for Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Android tablet owners, providing quick access to the apps in your Dock. Along with being able to create App Pairs, these combos can be pinned to the dock, making multitasking even more seamless.

Google AI Overview has been one of the biggest visual changes to Search in years. Whether you’re looking up the answer to a question or trying to do a bit of research, AI Overview is right at the top of the page.

Instead of just throwing a bunch of links at you, AI Overview attempts to summarize the information provided within the most popular search results. More importantly, this feature also provides quick access to whatever websites were cited within the explanation.

A recent report revealed that “Google’s AI Overview have led to a 49% increase in search impressions.” Although click-through rates on provided links are down by as much as 30%, Google’s commitment, along with regular updates, means that we’re a far cry from Gemini telling us to put “glue cheese on pizza.”

I/O 2024 also provided some rather concrete evidence that Google was working on something revolutionary for the AR/VR/XR space. Project Astra was announced during the Keynote, which is simply “a multimodal AI assistant.” In the promo video, a person is shown wearing glasses with built-in cameras and microphones, making it possible to ask Gemini questions and get answers without needing to use your phone.

Fast forward to now, and Android President Sameer Samat wore sunglasses that look similar to the Meta Ray Bans. These weren’t explicitly said to be the rumored Gemini-powered smart glasses, but it doesn’t take rocket science to put two and two together here.

Last year wasn’t quite as bad as I/O 2023, when Google said “AI” more than 120 times over the course of its 2-hour-long Keynote. However, AI and Gemini were still the primary focus at I/O 2024, with the Gemini 1.5 Flash and 1.5 Pro models being.

This was also where Google first debuted Gemini Live, which essentially lets you have a conversation with Gemini, including being able to interrupt it mid-sentence. At first, this was only available for Gemini Advanced subscribers, but it’s now available for everyone.

Google even recently updated Gemini Live, offering the “ability to share your Android camera or screen within your Gemini Live conversation.” And the best part is that you don’t need to sign up for Gemini Advanced, as it’s available for everyone.

A lot has happened in Google’s world over the course of the last year. Google I/O 2025 will commence tomorrow at 1PM ET, where we’ll learn much more about what we can hope to see from the confines of Mountain View over the next 12 months.

Yesterday, we covered pretty much everything that was shown off during The Android Show, with Google pulling back the veil on a bit for the first time. As we try to figure out what the next year will offer, all we really have to do is jump in the time machine to last year’s I/O.

It's pretty obvious that Google is trying to balance the fine line between catering to developers and just turning I/O into a party for everyone. That being said, we're also curious as to what the structure of the Keynote will actually be. With Material 3 Expressive out of the way, and Android 16 likely arriving in June, is there even anything else for Google to share?

On the flip side, if you just browse through the various planned sessions, you can see that we're going to spending quite a bit of time sifting through everything. Even with four main "Focus Areas," there are a bunch of sessions for each, with varying degrees of complexity.

Nevertheless, Google I/O is one of the more exciting events of the year, and we can't to see what's to come.

Something else that we're curious about is whether Google will share any upcoming plans for Chromebooks, tablets, or Android's revamped Desktop Mode. The latter made a surprise appearance at the end of The Android Show, but we aren't exactly sure what device it was being shown on.

And while rumors regarding a potential "Pixel Laptop" have subsided, we can't help but wonder what the future holds for Chromebooks and tablets. Neither are going away any time soon, but there hasn't been much on that front since the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus and Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 debuted last Fall.

There was one surprising omission when it came to the most recent batch of announcements, and that's the lack of any mention regarding Nest devices. It's been over four years since the most recent Nest Hub was released, and even longer since the Nest Audio was introduced.

However, Google has hardly mentioned its smart home platform at all, besides announcing that it's dropping support for a variety of devices. We can't help but wonder what plans Google has for the platform, whether it be in the way of new hardware or not.

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that this will be a surprise announcement during the I/O 2025 Keynote.

While the smart glasses are pretty awesome in their own right, that's not all we're expecting in the way of Android XR at Google I/O 2025. For a brief moment, Samsung's Project Moohan was spotted in the background during The Android Show.

Hopefully, this is where we will learn even more about the upcoming XR headset, as it's rumored to launch sometime in "mid-2025." And what better time to spill the beans than at Google I/O, when the platform will be on full display. Pun intended.

We know that Gemini is going to be a big deal at I/O 2025, but there's a pretty good chance Android XR steals the show. Despite there not being any Android XR-powered hardware just yet, Google gave us a glimpse at some of the things that Gemini will be able to do.

At one point during The Android Show, Android president Sameer Samat appeared on screen wearing some sunglasses that look similar to Ray-Bans. However, as my colleague Nick Sutrich points out, these are likely "Google and Samsung's upcoming smart glasses, complete with tinted lenses."

It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, but even Google TV is getting a Gemini upgrade, albeit one that's a bit smaller than other services. Once available, you'll be able to summon Gemini and ask it for specific recommendations.

In the announcement, Google said "you can ask for action movies that are age-appropriate for your kids." Plus, you can ask generalized questions, and along with a response, Gemini and Google TV will provide related videos for you to watch.

One of the more obvious focal points of I/O 2025 is going to be Gemini. The Android Show got the ball rolling, as Gemini will soon be available on the likes of Wear OS, Google TV, Android Auto, and Android XR. This comes following Google's replacement of Assistant with Gemini earlier this year, so the company must feel as though it's evolved enough to make it more widely available.

Arguably, the platform getting the biggest Gemini upgrade is Android Auto, with Google claiming it operates as a "more intuitive assistant." You'll still be able to perform simple tasks, but Gemini is also capable of understanding more complex requests.

With Wear OS 6, we're finally getting more customization options, and we don't mean more watch faces. Material 3 Expressive brings the ability to change color of the entire UI, so you can either match the color to your phone, or opt for something a bit different.

Not only that, but various UI elements are also being redesigned in order to make smartwatches easier to interact with. Buttons and notifications will now "hug the display," maximizing the screen real estate and hopefully resulting in a much better experience.

Morning everyone!

Technically, Google I/O 2025 is already underway, as Google gave us an early look at what's coming with The Android Show: I/O Edition. Material 3 Expressive brings about one of the more drastic UI overhauls that Google has undertaken, bringing it to our phones with Android 16 and smartwatches via Wear OS 6.

From everything we've seen so far, it's not just about making your phone and watch more personal, but aims to improve on aspects that you might not pay close attention to. This includes things like UI animations, buttons, all while retaining the essence of what Material You was all about.