Gemini’s new tools give you more control over your phone

It is, once again, Gemini season, and Google is rolling out a fresh wave of tools designed to make your phone work harder for you. During its pre-I/O Android showcase, the company announced a suite of features that embed its AI assistant deeper into your device, from Chrome on Android to autofill suggestions and even inside your apps. The catch? You have to opt in.

Naturally, Google has introduced a new branding term: Gemini Intelligence. According to Ben Greenwood, Google’s director of Android experiences, this umbrella name “brings the very best of Gemini to our most advanced Android devices.” It bundles both existing and new capabilities, but appears reserved for premium phones like the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. If you’re playing I/O bingo, mark that square.

One key feature under this banner is task automation. Already available on select Pixel and Samsung Galaxy models, it lets Gemini perform actions within certain apps on your behalf. Until now, it’s been limited to rideshare and food delivery services. That changes “soon,” says Google, as task automation expands to a wider range of applications. It’s also gaining multimodality , previously, Gemini relied solely on voice or text prompts. Now you can feed it a screenshot or photo. For instance, snap a grocery list from your notes app, and Gemini will add those items to your shopping cart. Provided, of course, your phone supports Gemini Intelligence.

Another fresh addition is Create My Widget, which Google describes as a first step toward “generative UI.” You describe the functionality you want in natural language, and AI builds a custom widget. Examples include a weather widget for cyclists showing wind speed and precipitation, or a dashboard surfacing “three high-protein meal prep recipes every week.” These widgets will also sync to Wear OS, making them available on smartwatches. On the surface, it’s simple. But think of widgets as tiny apps you can vibe-code onto your homescreen, and it becomes more intriguing. Whether this truly points to an interface that builds itself on the fly remains to be seen, but it’s worth watching during the I/O keynote.

Google is also bringing desktop Chrome features to its Android app. A Gemini button will appear in the browser, letting you share webpage content and ask questions directly. Subscribers to Google’s AI Pro or Ultra plans get auto browse, which can complete tasks like booking appointments. That rollout begins in late June.

Gemini will optionally appear in autofill on Android, connecting to your Google Photos and Gmail to pull relevant info , like a license plate number from a photo. Helpful or creepy? A bit of both, perhaps. That’s Gemini season for you. Greenwood says Gemini Intelligence features will “roll out in waves as they become ready throughout this year,” with Galaxy and Pixel phones first in line starting this summer.