AI Search
Google I/O 2026 kicks off May 19, and if the past few years are any indication, AI is going to be the main attraction. The two-day event will be livestreamed and is expected to cover updates across Gemini, Android, Chrome, and more — with keynotes, demos, and what Google calls its “Dialogues” sessions featuring conversations about where AI is headed.
Last year’s event was lengthy. Google I/O 2025 ran nearly two hours and touched nearly every corner of the company’s product lineup, from its consumer apps to developer tools to hardware. Gemini, as usual, dominated the conversation, with Google rolling out model updates, deeper Workspace integration, and a wave of new AI-powered features across Search, Shopping, and beyond.
The company also used the stage to pull back the curtain on its AR/VR ambitions with Android XR, including a new XR headset built with Samsung and Qualcomm, as well as a pair of Android XR smart glasses developed in partnership with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. On the infrastructure side, Google announced a new AI chip, Ironwood, for Google Cloud customers.
Here’s what’s likely on the table for Google I/O 2026.
A major Gemini model update is widely expected to be the centerpiece announcement. Whether it lands as a 4.0 or something in between, a newer, more capable version of Google’s flagship AI is almost certainly coming, per CNET’s preview of the event. Gemini is already embedded across most of Google’s product lineup, so whatever gets announced will have a wide reach.
A next-generation model would set the tone for the company’s entire product roadmap going forward.
On the more speculative end, our tech editor Timothy Beck-Werth thinks I/O 2026 could also bring updates to some of Google’s lesser-covered AI products — Nano Banana, Gemma, Lyria, and Genie, among them — along with a possible Veo 4 announcement, Google’s AI video generation tool. None of that is confirmed, but if Veo does get a major update, YouTube integration feels like a natural next step given how aggressively Google has been pushing AI into its platforms.
Google’s long-in-development project to create an Android operating system for PCs and laptops is expected to get significant airtime. The project would potentially merge Android and Chrome OS into a single platform.
Google’s Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat confirmed to Android Authority earlier this year that the platform is still on track for a 2026 debut, pushing back against court documents from the Google antitrust trial that suggested a possible 2028 timeline. Chrome OS, notably, isn’t going anywhere — Samat was clear that Google sees the two as parallel strategies rather than one replacing the other, with Aluminum OS targeting a broader consumer laptop audience.
After debuting as a concept at last year’s I/O, Google’s Android XR smart glasses are expected to take a step closer to an actual product this year. CNET notes that multiple hardware partners are involved, which could mean a range of price points when they eventually ship.
As Mashable reported in December, Google has actually been developing two distinct products under that umbrella. The first is a display-free pair of AI glasses equipped with a camera, speakers, and microphones for hands-free Gemini interaction — a form factor that draws obvious comparisons to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses.
The second, more ambitious product adds an in-lens display that can privately surface information like navigation directions and translation captions, visible only to the wearer. Both are being built in partnership with Samsung, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker, and both run on Android XR, the same operating system powering the Samsung Galaxy XR headset that launched in October 2025.
On the developer side, Google’s own design documentation for Android XR glasses offers a window into how the company is thinking about the experience. The platform is built around the idea that interfaces should feel like a natural extension of how people perceive the world. Google I/O 2026 could be where developers finally get the full toolkit to start building for it.
What remains unclear heading into I/O 2026 is when the display version will actually ship. Google confirmed the simpler AI glasses are expected this year, but has declined to give a launch date for the display model.
Google has been rolling out Android 17 betas since February, with a final release expected around June or July ahead of the usual Made by Google Pixel hardware event in August.
The beta has been light on headline features so far, though app bubbles — a floating window system for quick app access — has been one of the more notable additions. Like last year, Google will be hosting an I/O edition of the Android Show right before the big conference on May 12.
Across the board, expect a heavy push for agentic AI. Systems capable of handling tasks on your behalf with minimal input are all the rage right now. OpenAI is rumored to be making a phone around the concept. Google has been signaling this direction for a while, and I/O is the natural stage to show what that actually looks like in practice.
Google I/O 2026 begins May 19 at 10 a.m. PT and streams live at io.google.
Topics Android Google
Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master’s in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.
In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].
