Google I/O 2026 highlights: 'Biggest upgrade' to the Search with the 'best of AI', first-ever no-screen Audio Glasses, Gemini 3.5 Flash, Gemini Omni AI, SynthID expands to Search & Chrome and other key announcements
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  • Google I/O 2026 highlights: 'Biggest upgrade' to the Search with the 'best of AI', first-ever no-screen Audio Glasses, Gemini 3.5 Flash, Gemini Omni AI, SynthID expands to Search & Chrome and other key announcements
THE TIMES OF INDIA | May 20, 2026, 00:31:29 IST
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Google I/O 2026 highlights: 'Biggest upgrade' to the Search with the 'best of AI', first-ever no-screen Audio Glasses, Gemini 3.5 Flash, Gemini Omni AI, SynthID expands to Search & Chrome and other key announcements

At Google I/O 2026, Google made several major announcements, offering a glimpse into the future of technology. From its first-ever Audio Glasses to a revamped Search to a serie sof new AI models, the first day keynote of I/O 2026 was packed with launches. One of the big highlights was a revamped Search which is now completely reimagined with AI. Google Search isn't about searching the internet anymore. At its biggest event of the year 2026, Google introduced an intelligent Search box, fully powered by AI, marking a major shift in how users interact with Google Search called the "Generative UI in Search". "We’re entering the era of Search agents, where you can easily create, customize and manage multiple AI agents for your many tasks, right in Search," Google announced. Another key announcement was Google's first ever no-screen Audio Glasses. Developed in partnership with Samsung, the glasses will debut later this year.

As the tech world turned its attention to the Shoreline Amphitheatre in California, Google introduced Gemini Omni, a new AI model that the company says will initially focus on video-based generation before expanding to support “any output from any input” over time. Calling the model as its most advanced AI model yet, Omni's first version is called Gemini Omni Flash. It is expected to launch before a more advanced Pro variant arrives late this year. Google also announced Gemini 3.5 Flash which is available today in the Gemini app. Antigravity CLI, Antigravity SDK, and Native Voice Support too are available globally starting today.

As announced by the company, SynthID verification is now available in Search and Chrome. This means that Google is rolling out SynthID and C2PA verification to Search and Chrome. Search giant is focusing on improving Gemini on Agentic Coding, Long-Horizon Tasks, and Real-World Workflows. This means that users can more easily identify AI-generated imagery. Google also introduced a new Universal Cart tool that leverages Gemini and the Universal Commerce Protocol, enabling buyers to gather products from across the web through Gemini, Gmail, YouTube, and more, with added benefits such as deal tracking and smart recommendations.

Along with CEO Sundar Pichai, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and other top Google executives take stage at the today's event. The company announced that Gemini app now has over 900 million monthly active users. Google also unveiled a new design for the Gemini app. Called Neural Expressive, the redesign features new colors, animations, and a completely repositioned Gemini Live icon. On mobile, there’s just a ‘plus’ menu that opens a bottom sheet with a carousel of upload options at the top.

TOI Tech is covering the event live, stay with us for all the key updates from Google I/O 2026.
00:29 (IST) May 20
Google I/O 2026: Time for a wrap
That's all for today. And if you were too expecting Pichai, like us, then no this this time it was Demis Hassabis turn to say it is a wrap. But here are highlights from Pichai as shared on X, formerly Twitter. "Just off stage at #GoogleIO, some highlights from this morning ????Gemini 3.5 Flash is available today for everyone in @antigravity and across our products and APIs. Compared to 3.1 Pro, 3.5 Flash is better across almost all benchmarks with huge progress in coding. It’s also comparable to the best models but very fast (4x faster tokens/ second than other frontier models). And when looking at the intelligence versus output speed, it’s in a league of its own in the top right quadrant."

He added, "We’re having much more natural conversations with Gemini directly inside many of our products, so we’re bringing this to two more: Ask YouTube is a new experience for searching for content on YouTube. It gives you information in an easy to navigate layout, with videos best matched to what you’re looking for, and jumps right to the part most relevant to your query. With voice-powered Docs Live you can brain dump whatever is on your mind, and let Gemini do the rest. Rolling out this summer, and the same voice capability is coming to Gmail and Keep then too."


00:22 (IST) May 20
Google I/O 2026: Intelligent Eyewear demo worked, now it's back to Demis Hassabis
Demis Hassabis is talking about all the new AI features Google announced across its portfolio of products. But what he is here to talk about is AGI. Hassabis is talking about the most important technology need -- code security. Should we say, Mythos Effect.

00:13 (IST) May 20
Google I/O 2026: They are not Glasses but "intelligent eyewear"
Google I/O 2026: They are not Glasses but "intelligent eyewear"

Google and Samsung call the new form factor "intelligent eyewear." These “audio glasses” do not have a screen, with all output from the built-in speakers. In terms of input, there are cameras and microphones for Gemini. To access Gemini, you can “tap the side of the frame” or say the “Hey Google” hotword. As for availability, Glasses are coming this fall.

00:10 (IST) May 20
Google I/O 2026: Time for Android XR
At Google I/O keynote, it is time for Android XR, including two different types of AI glasses. Google is partnering with Samsung. Google's first-ever audio Glasses will work with both Android and iOS devices.

00:05 (IST) May 20
Google I/O 2026: Time for Nano Banana and more
Google Pics is a new image creation and editing tool rolling out this summer in Google Workspace. You can use Pics to create party flyers or infographics, starting with a base image, resizing or removing elements and adding text.

23:49 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Gemini is getting a redesign
Google I/O 2026: Gemini is getting a redesign

Gemini app is getting a redesign, it is called Neural Expressive. The redesign features new colors, animations, and a completely repositioned Gemini Live icon. On mobile, there’s just a ‘plus’ menu that opens a bottom sheet with a carousel of upload options at the top. Users get Photos, Camera, and Recent images. Scroll down to “More uploads” for Files, Drive, and Notebooks. Tools appear next: Guided learning, Deep research, Canvas, Create music, Create video, Create image, and Personal Intelligence.

23:49 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: More numbers drop in
The Gemini app now has over 900 million monthly active users.
23:38 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Google launches Gemini-powered Universal Cart
Google I/O 2026: Google launches Gemini-powered Universal Cart

Google is launching a new Universal Cart tool that leverages Gemini and the Universal Commerce Protocol to allow buyers to gather products from across the web through Gemini, Gmail, YouTube, and more, with added benefits such as deal tracking and smart recommendations. Universal Cart will help users shop the web with deal tracking and proactive help.

23:33 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Google is launching new Search box
Google I/O 2026: Google is launching new Search box

Google Search will now run on Gemini 3.5, and Google is launching an entirely new Search box. Search will "help you formulate your question," and field follow-up queries in a dedicated, chatbot-style box underneath your initial results. Google's new Search tool can also act like an AI agent. This means that users can ask complex questions and have it update outside of Search as the answer to that question changes.

23:25 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Android gets a Halo
Google I/O 2026: Android gets a Halo

Android Halo is here. As to what it is, it is a dedicated space for agents for phones. Coming later this year.

23:21 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: New plan and a price cut
Google I/O 2026: New plan and a price cut

Google launches a new AI Ultra plan starting at $100 per month. $100 Google AI Ultra too is coming. The top-tier Ultra plan is now $200, down from $250.

23:20 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Gemini Spark demo
We are getting a Gemini Spark demo. The host makes Spark drawing up a complex block party plan involving schedules, planning permissions and calendar integrations. Don't forget, Gemini Spark will soon operate in Chrome

23:16 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Google has new TPU chip
Google has a new TPU chip and it is called TPU 8. The all-new TPU 8 can deliver up to 2x better performance-per-watt. As to what it means for users: It means more powerful processing; less power.
23:16 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Google just announced Gemini Spark
Google I/O 2026: Google just announced Gemini Spark

As to what Gemini Spark is. It is a personal AI agent that helps you navigate your digital life, taking action on your behalf. It will work 24/7, even when your laptop is closed. Spark is powered by Gemini Flash 3.5 and the Antigravity harness. Remember, Google now wants to bring agents to consumers.

23:10 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Gemini 3.5 Flash availability
3.5 Flash is available today in the Gemini app. Antigravity CLI, Antigravity SDK, and Native Voice Support too are available globally starting today.
23:06 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Next up: Gemini 3.5 Flash
Google I/O 2026: Next up: Gemini 3.5 Flash

Gemini 3.5 Flash combines frontier intelligence with action. Pichai says: When compared to 3.1 Pro, Flash is better across the board. It's made huge progress in coding. It's 4x faster than other frontier models. Google is supposedly processing more than three trillion tokens a day internally using Gemini 3.5 Flash.

23:05 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: SynthID verification expands
SynthID verification coming to Search and Chrome. This means that Google is rolling out SynthID and C2PA verification to Search and Chrome. Search giant is focusing on improving Gemini on Agentic Coding, Long-Horizon Tasks, and Real-World Workflows. This means that users can more easily identify AI-generated imagery.
23:04 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Gemini gets Omni Mode
Google I/O 2026: Gemini gets Omni Mode

Gemini Omni can now create anything from any input. This Omni model takes advantage of Gemini’s world knowledge and reasoning. The first model in the Omni family is Omni Flash. It's available today in the Gemini app, Google Flow, and on YouTube Shorts. Omni can also be used for video editing.

23:03 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Google DeepMind Demis Hassabis takes the stage
Google I/O 2026: Google DeepMind Demis Hassabis takes the stage

Little surprise, we hear about AGI; says: Artificial General Intelligence is just a few years away

23:03 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: AI moves beyond Search
Google I/O 2026: AI moves beyond Search

Docs Live will allow users to “verbally brain dump whatever is on your mind. Goes to YouTube, Ask YouTube is a new conversational search experience.

23:02 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: More numbers
Gemini app now has over 900 million monthly active users for 2x growth.

23:01 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Statistics to beat
Pichai talks numbers, says: 13 products with over 1 billion users and 5 products with 3+ billion users.
22:58 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Pichai on how long AI goes back at Google
Pichai kinda tells everyone: We are the 'first' AI company. He says: It’s been 10 years since we pivoted the company to be AI first.
22:58 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Keynote begins

It's showtime, Google CEO Sundar Pichai takes stage

22:25 (IST) May 19
​Google I/O 2026: Gemini app rolling out ‘Extended’ thinking level
Ahead of I/O 2026, Google continues to roll out Gemini app features, with some users now seeing a “Thinking level” option. In the model picker, you’ll see a new “Thinking level” menu at the bottom of the sheet. This only appears when selecting Fast (Gemini 3 Flash) or Gemini 3.1 Pro, with Thinking excluded. Your options are “Standard” and “Extended.” So far, Thinking level is seeing a limited rollout. This matches how Google AI Studio offers Low, Medium, and High thinking levels.

22:17 (IST) May 19
Google I/O: ​Google Play adds paid and PC games, game trials, community posts
Earlier this year, Google announced a slew of new gaming-focused updates to Google Play at GDC 2026. The tech giant revealed that Google Play is expanding its catalog to include anticipated paid and PC indie games, launching game trials, introducing “buy once, play anywhere” pricing, rolling out a wishlist tool, and adding community posts. "Google Play’s mission remains focused on one thing: building an experience that revolves around you. Since we integrated mobile and PC gaming last September, 160 million gamers now use the You tab in Google Play every month to stay up to date on their games. Today, as the industry gathers at the GDC Festival of Gaming, we’re launching updates designed to help you discover your next favorite game and master the ones you love," said the company in a blog post.
21:52 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Google’s Personal Intelligence feature is free
​Earlier this year, Google announced that it is expanding Personal Intelligence to Gmail and Google Photos. Previously only available to paid users, Personal Intelligence is available in AI Mode in Search, the Gemini app, and Gemini in Chrome. The feature allows its AI assistant to tailor its responses by connecting across your Google ecosystem. “Whether you’re looking for a specific brand of sneakers you previously purchased, or planning a family getaway based on your hotel confirmations and past travel memories, Personal Intelligence helps you find exactly what you need without having to give all the context,” Google explained in a blog post. Personal Intelligence is off by default, as users have the option to choose if and when they want to connect their Google apps to these services.
21:32 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: ​Google races to put Gemini at the center of Android
Google previewed a number of Android updates, including AI-powered app automation, a smarter version of Chrome on Android, new tools for creators, a redesigned Android Auto experience, and a sweeping set of new security features earlier this month. These come as Google is counting on Gemini to help Google compete directly with OpenAI and Anthropic in the market for AI models and services, while also serving as the AI backbone across its expansive portfolio of products, including Android. Meanwhile, Gemini is powering part of Apple’s new AI strategy, giving Google a role in the iPhone maker’s reset even as it races to prove its own version of personal AI on the phone is further along.
21:21 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: AI chips or should we say TPUs
The new wildcard is external TPU sales. Google disclosed in the first quarter that it will begin delivering its custom AI chips to outside customers in the second half of 2026, with broader expansion planned for 2027. It is a potentially large new revenue stream, but investors still do not know exactly how to model it.
20:45 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Gemini App promises faster, smarter AI assistance
20:18 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: As Google Cloud goes revenue-heavy, investors glued
Cloud has become one of Alphabet’s strongest pillars. It grew 63% year-over-year in the first quarter, outpacing both Azure and AWS. Cloud backlog hit $462 billion, up roughly 90% quarter-over-quarter, with half expected to be recognized over the next 24 months. Gen AI product revenue grew roughly 800% year-over-year. Investors are likely to be looking at it and the most consequential I/O announcements may come from cloud and infrastructure.

19:57 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Agentic shopping
Commerce may be the bigger opportunity. Google already has search, shopping, autofill and payments; now it wants Gemini to connect them into an agentic checkout experience. Google has been expanding its Universal Commerce Protocol, adding partners including Meta, Microsoft, Stripe, Klarna and Affirm in recent weeks. I/O is expected to further show how that infrastructure could enable end-to-end agentic checkout, where Gemini does not just answer a shopping query, but completes a transaction. Sameer Samat, president of Android Ecosystem at Google, described asking Gemini to plan a barbecue, build a menu, open Instacart, add ingredients to a Safeway cart and notify him when the task was done.

19:38 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: ​AI agents
If there is one theme running through the I/O session lineup, it is AI Agents. Google has several sessions on agentic coding workflows, multimodal tools, media generation, robotics and AI agents. The goal is to position Gemini as not just a chatbot but more of an operating layer across Google’s products, capable of understanding context and taking action.

19:17 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Demis Hassabis replies ‘Locked in!’ as Sundar Pichai gears up for Google I/O 2026
18:53 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Stakes are higher in 2026 for Google
Google I/O has always been Google's stage and venue for showing developers where the company is headed, but this year stakes are higher than past many years as AI solutions from many competitors go mainstream.
18:33 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Wall Street is all wowed
Google I/O kicks off Tuesday at a time when Wall Street has already repriced Alphabet as a full-stack AI winner. Since the start of 2026, Wall Street is valuing Google like one of the few companies positioned to profit from every layer of the generative AI boom. The bull case heading into I/O is that nearly every winner in the AI economy may need Google somewhere in its supply chain, from chips and cloud to the models running on top of both.
18:00 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: What are investors watching
At Google I/O 2026 investors are watching a number of key areas, from the next Gemini model to agentic commerce and Google's in-house AI chip, commonly called TPUs.

17:32 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Google-Blackstone partnership aims to find compute solution
Just hours before Google II/O, Google announced an AI Cloud business with Blackstone Inc, aiming to compete with companies like CoreWeave in a burgeoning market. The project will rely on an initial $5 billion in equity capital from Blackstone, which will become the majority owner. Including leverage, the investment will be worth $25 billion, a person familiar with the matter said. The goal is to have 500 megawatts’ worth of computing capacity by 2027. The data centers will run Google’s homegrown AI chips called tensor processing units, or TPUs, that are designed to develop and run AI models. Veteran Google executive Benjamin Treynor Sloss will become CEO of the new business. The move is said to add to a boom in spending on computing infrastructure, which underpins AI models and services.
17:31 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Sundar Pichai promises big reveals
17:28 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Chromebooks may have just got a successor Googlebooks
​As part of last week's Android Show, Google unveiled Googlebooks as the next generation of laptops powered by the company's services. While no devices were announced, Googlebooks look to be an Android-powered successor to Chromebooks that will heavily feature Gemini's AI capabilities. After last week's announcement of Googlebooks, Google I/O may include more details about the company's plans for this newer desktop operating system.

17:27 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: Google Health gets big update
​Earlier this month, Google merged the Fitbit app into Google Health while launching the displayless Fitbit Air fitness tracker. The announcements made clear how Google plans to integrate Gemini into its health-tracking product. While IO is unlikely to show off more products that would tie into Google Health, the company might use the developer conference to show more ways that Google Health is set up to integrate with other services. Google IO developer conference could provide a larger look at ways Google plans to offer AI coaching through Google Health.
17:26 (IST) May 19
Google I/O 2026: How and where to watch keynote live
​Google I/O 2026 will take place on May 19 and 20 and the keynote will begin on Tuesday, May 19, at 10:00am PT (10:30 pm IST). The main keynote may run for nearly two hours. Google will be streaming the keynote, and those interested can watch the official broadcast live via YouTube. The annual show comes a week after The Android Show, wherein Google gave a sneak peek into features coming to Android 17, including Gemini Intelligence and ‘AirDrop capability’. The company also teased “Googlebooks” laptop line, noting that these will be using premium materials built by its partners Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo, the software running them remains a mystery. Moreover, Google is rolling out end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging between Android and iPhone users.