Ahead of their I/O developer conference in just a couple of weeks, Google has delivered an I/O edition of their Android Show, announcing new and upcoming changes to the OS. 

Gemini Intelligence

The biggest announcement is the proclamation that ‘Android is evolving from an operating system into an intelligence system’. 

The switch will see a deeper integration of Google’s AI, with the implementation of ‘Gemini Intelligence’. 

The move expands on Google’s initial everyday AI help, Magic Cue, which was launched with the Pixel 10 series phones last year. It introduces a new range of features including asking Gemini to automate apps, autofill forms with Gemini Personal Intelligence and more.

Google is fast to remind everyone that these features are able to be enabled, or disabled at any time. Gemini Intelligence features will include granular controls that enable you to opt-in, or out, of entire features – or you can just opt out of specific parts at any time.

Automation

Google is working on ‘agentic’ options for Gemini Intelligence, letting it use your apps so you can just live your life.

With Automation, Gemini Intelligence can perform multiple steps to help you do things like book a front-row bike for your spin class or find your class syllabus in Gmail then load the course books you need in your cart.

Google says it’s also able to take in screenshots or images as a prompt for what to do next. Using this imagery, it can create a list of things in the shot, or search for options – with Google using the example of searching for a tour, simply based off a travel brochure.

Gemini Intelligence will work in the background to achieve your goal for you – though an activity prompt will let you control what’s happening at all times.

Rambler

A much welcome features is the update to voice to text – which Google are calling Rambler. While Android has one of the best voice-to-text systems out there, Rambler will improve it again, taking out those gaps with “ums,” “ahs” and “likes” in your conversation if they’re not needed.

Built-in to GBoard, Rambler will be available across apps, letting you speak naturally and have all the important parts come out on the screen. 

It will be available in multiple languages, with Rambler understanding context and the nuance, so the message will still sound exactly like you, just a bit more eloquent.

Widgets

Widgets are almost synonymous with Android, but Gemini Intelligence will take them a step beyond. No longer will you have to wait for a developer to add a widget, now you’ll just ask Gemini Intelligence to do it.

The Gemini Intelligence ‘Create My Widget’ feature will let you describe what you want to see in natural language and it will build it for you.

Auto-Fill

While Android already has a decent Auto-Fill option, Gemini Intelligence will take it further – and make it better.

If you opt-in to the new Auto-Fill, you’ll find it can use relevant information from your connected apps to help fill in the correct information for you. This includes finding things like Drivers License or Passport Number if you saved it or shared it in places like Messages or Drive.

It will work across apps, as well as Chrome to take the hassle out of filling in forms – and it’s opt-in, so you can ensure your privacy remains if you don’t want it searching this data.

Burrito!

Emoji have been a big part of our mobile lives, and Google is giving them a makeover in Android 17. 

They’ve redesigned over 4000 emojis to show 3D representation, giving them more depth on the screen. 

The updated emoji will be rolling out later this year.

App distractions

Google’s Digital Wellbeing tools in Android are good, but they’re not infallible – which is why Google is launching Pause Point. 

Pause Point lets you really focus on apps you know are a time-suck, letting you label them, forcing Android to pop up alternatives including ‘take a breathing exercise, or look at your photos’ when you try to load the app.

It’s not a suicide pact though, you can also choose to opt out if you’re in a situation you can waste time, like waiting for an appointment – or there’s an emergency. 

Android Security and Privacy

As part of any Android update, Security is at the forefront and Android 17 will be no different. 

Scam Calls

Google says they have partnered with ‘select banks and financial institutions’ to help prevent scams involving spoofed calls that appear to be from your bank.

Google says that if your bank is one of these partners, then all you have to do is have your banking app signed in, and Android will work quietly in the background to check these incoming calls – it does this in a few ways:

  • When you receive a call that appears to be from your bank or financial institution, Android asks the app for confirmation to see if they are actually calling you.
  • If the app confirms that no phone call is being made, the system ends the call.
  • Your bank or financial institution may also designate numbers as inbound-only, meaning they never use them to call customers. Incoming calls from these numbers will be ended directly.

Live Threat Detection

Google has also said they will be updating their existing Live Threat Detection to offer more real-time security features that use on-device AI to analyse app behaviour and notify you if it notices anything suspicious.

The update will look at SMS forwarding, as well as Accessibility Overlay hijacks, which attempt to prompt you into taking action from a notification, with ‘Dynamic Signal Monitoring, detecting actions from the app including ‘changing or hiding their icon and then launching from the background or abusing accessibility permissions’. 

Chrome

Chrome on Android will also see improvements, with updates to their Advanced Protection, offering updates to USB protection and

Intrusion Logging.

Developed in partnership with Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders, the update is aimed at turning on ‘privacy-preserving forensics logging’ to allow for investigation after you suspect a device has been compromised, and also to block unauthorised access to your device’s data through the USB port while the screen is locked.

Anti-Theft

If you’ve ever had your phone stolen, then the newest theft prevention measures should help.

In Android 17, you’ll be able to jump into Find Hub and ‘mark as lost’ any devices that have gone missing and you can lock the phone with biometric authentication in addition to the regular passcode/pin. 

Requiring the biometric login will hamper crooks, meaning they’ll still need your fingerprint or face scan to unlock the phone, even if they have your pin or passcode. 

Labelling a device as ‘lost’ will also hobble it further, by hiding Quick Settings and disabling new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections.

Apple to Android and back again.

Google has worked on a number of different ways to smooth out sharing data, or switching between Android and Apple users. 

Google’s introduction of AirDrop compatibility last year was a welcome one, but limited availability has been a sore point. Google is working to release AIrdrop compatibility to more devices, planning to update Samsung, OPPO,

OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi and HONOR devices this year. 

It’s not the end however, with Google also working to add iOS-to-Android file transfers using a QR code to let you share files through the cloud. 

For switching phones, Google has overhauled the iOS-to-Android transfer process to ensure your passwords, photos, messages, favorite apps, contacts and even your homescreen layout can migrate wirelessly from your iPhone to your new Android device. 

Google says the new process even supports transferring your eSIM to make the process even simpler. This will first rollout on Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices this year.

Android Creators

Google will be offering Creators tools to streamline their reactions, with tools to record yourself and your screen to better cover ‘Reaction’ type videos in the Android 17 update.

Premiere on Android

Video Creators will also be pleased to see native support for Adobe Premiere with an Android app set to debut later this year. 

Adobe says you’ll be able to access ‘exclusive templates and effects to create and post YouTube Shorts from the app’, making it easier, and faster to share a new video. 

APV

Google will also be bringing APV (Advanced Professional Video) codec support to Android 17. 

APV is ‘the industry’s most storage-efficient professional video format’, which they say has been built for today’s mobile creators. This format was co-developed by Samsung who launched it on the Galaxy S26 Ultra (and the Vivo X300 Ultra has it too) and will be supported on Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered flagship devices later this year.

Instagram

As part of the announcements made during the Android Show, Google has announced a new partnership with Meta, bringing the ‘best of Instagram to our most advanced Android devices’.

The partnership will see Instagram use the native camera functionality, taking advantage of features built-in to Android including video stabilisation for smooth shots even when walking, Ultra HDR for those lifelike colours that really pop, and Night Sight for well lit shots even in extremely low-light. 

The partnership will also improve content sharing, to ensure the image quality is retained. Google says they’ve taken pains to ensure your photos and videos remain stunningly sharp when you hit “post”. 

Editing will also be faster, and easier on Instagram with new tools in Instagrams Edit’s app – exclusive to Android. These features will use on-device AI to deliver polished, ready to post videos in mere seconds, including: 

● Smart enhance: With a single tap, you can instantly upscale your photos and videos with advanced on-device AI.

● Sound separation: If you’ve ever struggled through multiple retakes because

something or someone interrupted your video, the Edits app will now identify and separate out audio tracks— wind, noise, and music—to boost the sounds that you want and remove what you don’t.

Google has also announced that Instagram is now fully optimised for tablets, for any creators who prefer working on a larger display.