Google I/O 2025 is still a week out, but Google shared a taste of the updates coming to Android and the larger Android Ecosystem at a separate event today, dubbed The Android Show: I/O Edition.
Engadget followed along with the announcements as they happened in our liveblog, but for an overview, here are the changes Google has planned for Android, its visual design and Gemini.
Material 3 Expressive is making Android and Wear OS more fun
Material Design, Google’s design language for Android and Android apps, has been slowly evolving for years at this point, but Material 3 Expressive should be the biggest departure yet, adding new animations, typography and colors.
Google believes these changes make Android and apps easier to understand, while making them more appealing to young people. Based on the screenshots and clips Google shared, using Material 3 Expressive on Android 16 and Wear OS 6 has made the OSes look bouncier, more playful and fun. On Android, that also comes with the ability to add more tools to Quick Settings and apps and widgets to your home screen app grid. How much of a difference the new design language actually makes in your day-to-day life will depend on how quickly developers adopt the new style.
Google says you’ll be able to check out the new look yourself when the Android 16 beta becomes available on select Android devices in June.
Gemini is coming to even more places
Google made Gemini the default assistant on Android and offered the multimodal generative AI’s smarts on the web and iOS. Now the assistant is making the jump to even more of the surfaces Google already controls, including Wear OS, the wearable operating system used by Samsung’s Galaxy Watches and Google’s Pixel Watches, Google TV and Android Auto.
Gemini will be able to do all of the things Google Assistant could do, like setting timers or creating reminders, but with much more flexible, natural language interactions. In Android Auto and cars with Google Built-in, you’ll also be able to use Gemini Live, Google’s tool for having live conversations with the AI about whatever topic you choose.
Google TV will leverage Gemini for TV and movie recommendations across your favorite genres, along with the AI assistant’s basic ability to answer questions. You could, for example, ask it for recommendations for kid shows and get information about your favorite actor. Gemini will also be available on Google’s new Android XR platform, but Google suggested that more information about its mixed-reality plans are being saved for I/O on May 20.
Android is getting new security features and the Find Hub
A major component of each new version of Android is improved security features, and Google has a few new features planned for Android 16. The company says it’s expanding its AI model for detecting spam texts and calls to account for new types of scams, like road toll scams.
The next version of Android will also make it possible to grant accessibility privileges on a call with an unknown contact, and a new Key Verifier tool makes it possible to swap encryption keys to verify the person you’re talking to is who they say they are.
On top of those changes, Google is expanding its Find My Device network into the new Find Hub, which can track your Android devices, compatible accessories and trackers, all in one location. The big change in the move from Find My Device to Find Hub is broad support for devices with ultra-wideband radios, which offer more precise tracking. Devices in Find Hub will also be able to use your phone’s satellite connectivity to make themselves findable even when you don’t have cell service.
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