Google I/O 2026 just concluded, and it’s no surprise that almost every major announcement during this year’s keynote revolved around it Twins. From new Gemini models to a Gemini-powered shopping cart that can track prices and deals for you, almost everything Google has announced has Gemini integrated into it in some form.
I really haven’t been too sold on Google’s Gemini push over the past few I/O events. Many of the features felt interesting on stage, but never meaningfully impacted my day-to-day life. But I/O 2026 felt a little different. Google has now integrated Gemini more deeply into its core products, and some of the new features look like they could really save users a lot of time.
Gemini is slowly becoming the AI assistant Google always wanted
Ever since Google announced Gemini, the company has been trying to position it as a replacement for the original Google Assistant. But after I/O 2026, it feels like that transition is finally happening. It introduced something called Google Gemini sparkit’s actually a personal AI agent that can run in the background 24/7 and take action on your behalf.
And these actions are not limited to your device. Since Gemini Spark works in the cloud, it can continue to work even after you close your laptop or lock your phone. For example, you can ask it to monitor your credit card bills for suspicious charges, or track updates from your child’s school and summarize important information right in Gmail.
It works somewhat similarly to projects like OpenClaw, although Google still doesn’t allow native search, messaging, or email directly through Spark. The company says these features will come later. Google also stressed that Spark won’t take important actions like spending money or sending email without explicit user permission.
Along with this, Google also introduced a new one A feature called Daily Brief. It works similarly to the Daily Hub on the Pixel 10 series, combining 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 rolling out to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the US.
Gemini will now edit the videos for you
Gemini can already create and edit photos, but now Google is taking things even further with video. Replacing the old Veo brand, the company introduced the Gemini Omni brings conversational video editing directly to Gemini.
For example, you can simply type things like “apply cinematic zoom to this clip” or “change background” and Gemini will automatically edit the video for you.
What makes Gemini Omni even more interesting is that it supports multiple types of input at the same time. You can combine text, images, videos and even audio into one final output. For example, you can suggest a still image, an audio track, and a visual effect, then ask Gemini to create a full video using them all together.
Because Omni is built on Gemini’s thinking architecture, Google says it better understands real-world physics and motion, including things like gravity, motion, and object interactions, making the videos it creates look more realistic overall.
For now, Google is introducing the first model in the Omni family called Gemini Omni Flash. It is available to Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers through the Gemini program. Google also says users can remix YouTube Shorts Use Gemini Omni starting later this week.
Gemini can now track deals and price drops online for you
One of the best features Google announced today, at least in my opinion, is innovation The Universal Basket ruled by Gemini. The feature works across a variety of retailers and Google services, and it automatically starts running in the background after you add an item to your cart while browsing Search or chatting with Gemini.
Google says Universal Cart will track price drops, monitor stock availability, display price history and even notify you when an item is back in stock.
What makes him even more interesting is how smart he looks. For example, if you’re building a PC, Gemini can understand behind-the-scenes compatibility and prevent you from adding incompatible components to your cart. If something doesn’t work, it will automatically suggest alternative products. It can also analyze the cards you have saved 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 if you are adding products from Amazon, WalmartNike or Target, everything is tracked together in one Universal Cart.
Although the Universal Cart is currently only available in the US, it is expected to go on sale this summer.
Google Search is completely different
For years, the Google search box was simply a place where you typed in questions and got results from the web. But at I/O 2026, Google announced some major changes to Search that could dramatically change the way people use it going forward.
Search is no longer limited to text. Google says users will now be able to combine text, images, videos, and even Chrome icons into a single search query. Search is also getting something called Search Agents, which works somewhat similar to Gemini Spark. These agents can work in the background 24/7 and monitor the information that matters to you.
For example, you can create a Search Agent to monitor the stock you are interested in, or continuously search for properties in a specific area within a certain budget and size range.
Google also provides custom dashboards and trackers for ongoing tasks. The company describes them as customized “mini apps” built around your workflow, whether it’s planning a wedding, tracking nutrition goals, or managing long-term projects. Google says these agents and widgets will be available later this summer for AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the US.
Gmail is finally getting the conversational AI search it needs
If you’ve ever wondered why Gmail is still stuck with old-school keyword search despite Google’s ubiquitous implementation of conversational AI, Google is finally changing that at I/O 2026.
The company introduced a new function called Gmail Liveit allows users to search their inbox by speaking instead of typing traditional keywords. For example, you can simply ask something like “Find the flight number for my flight today” and Gmail will pull up the relevant information directly.
Meanwhile, Google is also expanding AI Inbox experience 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 enhanced AI Inbox experience will now roll out to Google AI Plus and AI Pro subscribers.
