Google I/O 2026 Stay Weblog: Android 17, Android XR glasses, and all of the Gemini AI information

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2026-05-17T09:59:52.212Z

Another major set of upgrades coming with Android 17 is focused on creators. Google says it has partnered with Meta to optimize Instagram on Android. The company claims it has improved the entire capture-to-upload pipeline so that photos and videos uploaded from Android devices retain much better quality.

2026-05-17T08:01:04.630Z

Google already claims that Android blocks more scams and fraud attempts than iPhones, and the company expanded on that during The Android Show 2026. Google is bringing a much-improved version of Live Threat Detection to Android. This feature continuously monitors apps on your phone to ensure they aren’t abusing permissions, such as forwarding SMS messages, misusing accessibility overlays, or secretly accessing sensitive information in the background.

Not only that, but Google has also updated the “Mark as lost” feature inside Find Hub. Android 17 will now require biometric authentication in addition to your PIN or passcode when a lost device is marked in Find Hub. This means even if someone somehow knows your passcode, they still won’t be able to unlock your phone without biometric verification.

2026-05-17T06:34:06.461Z

(Image credit: Google)

Do you need Gemini Intelligence? If the eligibility requirements for the new AI suite are indeed as we’ve described, a lot of Android phones will be left out — even recent flagships. A lot of Android and Gemini fans may find themselves asking that very question later this summer. Although it’s easy to want the latest and greatest AI software, the answer might be “no.”

Without Gemini Intelligence, you won’t be able to ask Gemini to book a tour in the Expedia app in the background while you use your Android phone for other tasks. You will, however, still be able to use features like Nano Banana, Gemini, and Circle to Search without Gemini Intelligence. So, it’s important to remember that the Gemini features you love aren’t going away — Gemini Intelligence just expands on them.

2026-05-17T05:07:41.344Z

The limitations of Gemini Intelligence are somewhat surprising considering the planned scope of the AI suite. Google said in its announcement that Gemini Intelligence “will become available across your Android devices including your watch, car, glasses and laptops later this year.” It also explained that a gradual rollout of features will begin starting with “the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones this summer.”

But considering the demanding system requirements for Gemini Intelligence, we are doubtful the suite will run on-device on platforms like Wear OS, Google built-in, or Android XR. Instead, it seems more likely that Gemini Intelligence could run on-device on Android phones and Googlebooks, with watches, cars, and glasses tapping into the advanced AI suite through a tethered connection. We’ll have to wait and see to be sure, though.

Gemini Intelligence landing page that strict technical requirements will rule out many recent flagships from running the new AI suite. The system requirements for Gemini Intelligence are a “qualified SoC” (in other words, a flagship chip), 12GB of RAM, and certain on-device AI models (AI Core and Gemini Nano v3).

As you’ve probably noticed, that list not only leaves out last-generation flagships, but also some current models like the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Of course, Google could expand Gemini Nano v3 support, and we hope it does. But for now, Gemini Intelligence looks much more limited than we initially thought.

2026-05-17T02:44:10.181Z

While some people might not trust Gemini with complicated tasks just yet, there’s one area I can’t wait for Gemini to take over: filling out forms. With this latest Gemini Intelligence upgrade, Gemini can now auto-fill all those annoying web forms with a single tap, including the boxes that the current Chrome auto-fill always seems to be incapable of doing. It’s about time!

2026-05-17T01:49:27.003Z

Sticking to the Autobrowse topic for another minute, I’m wondering how many people will feel comfortable with letting Gemini perform these tasks. Do you find yourself trusting the AI summaries on Google searches, or using AI to complete tasks like this with confidence? I know a lot of people who are skeptical about AI’s accuracy for these kinds of things (with good reason), and I’m wondering how many people might be willing to offload a task to Gemini and trust the end result. What do you think? I’d love to hear from the community on this one!

2026-05-17T00:30:33.675Z

Google also debuted the Chrome Autobrowse feature, which builds upon Gemini Screen Automation, which was launched alongside the Galaxy S26 earlier this year. With Autobrowse, you give Gemini a task, and it does all the annoying searching and researching for you. Google’s example was to find the best place to park for an event, something that often requires using multiple apps or websites, plus a good chunk of time to find.

2026-05-16T23:37:57.095Z

During the Gemini Intelligence portion of The Android Show, we got a peek at a radically different UI design for Gemini. Google is being pretty weird about this new design, telling Android Central, “Gemini Intelligence comes with an updated design language that builds upon Material 3 Expressive.” Clearly, this design language isn’t anything like Material 3 Expressive, despite what the company says, so maybe it’s just testing the waters for something new and relatively small to see how public reaction goes.

2026-05-16T22:33:13.775Z

Security is an important part of Android, and Google is enhancing user protection with a new spoof protection feature. To safeguard users from spoofing, the system will verify bank calls in the background and end the call if it detects someone is impersonating a bank.

The feature will work for participating financial institutions if the user has the associated app installed on their phone. The system will essentially check with the app to verify that a call is actually being made from the bank. To start, only Revolut, Itaú, and Nubank will support the new spoof protection feature, but it will expand to other banks in the future.

2026-05-16T21:29:14.249Z

Android Auto is getting some much-needed love. Users will be happy to know that the experience will better fit a wider range of infotainment display shapes, such as that of the Lucid Air. The update includes wallpapers and Material 3 Expressive UI elements, adding more color to your experience.

2026-05-16T20:33:49.854Z

Android 17 is becoming more creator-friendly, and one of the coolest features coming to the platform is Screen Reactions. If you’re a creator, this should be very useful to you, as it makes it easy to record an overlay of yourself over a clip in the background without needing to set up a green screen or use third-party apps.

2026-05-16T19:01:00.970Z

Gemini Intelligence is a big step forward for Android, bringing more automation and context across Google’s platforms. We’ve already seen a big of what this can do, thanks to Magic Cue and Now Nudge on the Pixel 10 and Galaxy S26, respectively. Google plans to take app automation to the next level and bring it to even more devices.

One cool capability powered by Gemini Intelligence is an improved Gboard voice-to-text feature called Rambler. It intelligently transcribes your voice while accounting for the “ums,” “ahs,” and “likes,” allowing you to speak more naturally while converting your voice.

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