Google unveils smarter Search, AI agents, and mini apps
▼ Summary
– AI Mode, powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash, now has over 1 billion monthly users globally.
– The Search box is getting its biggest upgrade in 25 years, featuring an expanding interface and AI-powered query suggestions that anticipate intent.
– New “information agents” will work in the background 24/7 to monitor the web and provide intelligent updates on user-specific topics, available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer.
– Agentic coding in Search will use Gemini models to build custom, interactive layouts and visuals, with generative UI rolling out to all users for free this summer.
– Search will soon create custom dashboards and trackers for continuous tasks like wedding planning, available to US AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the coming months.
At I/O 2026, Google unveiled major updates to Search, including a smarter interface, persistent AI agents, and modular mini apps. AI Mode is now fully powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash and reaches over 1 billion monthly users globally.
The new intelligent Search box expands dynamically as you type, representing what Google calls the “biggest upgrade to the Search box in over 25 years.” It adapts to longer, more conversational queries with AI-driven suggestions that go beyond simple autocomplete by predicting your actual intent. Below the text box, shortcuts now let you jump directly into AI Mode, Talk (Search Live), or Create (Nano Banana in Google Lens). A plus menu allows you to attach images from your gallery or camera, as well as upload documents. This feature begins rolling out on May 19.
Google is also making the transition between AI Overviews and AI Mode seamless worldwide. When you tap “Show more” on a results page, the system now flows directly into the deeper AI Mode experience.
New agentic capabilities are arriving in Search. Google introduced information agents that run continuously in the background, delivering what it describes as an “intelligent, synthesized update, with the ability to take action.” These agents can monitor blogs, news sites, social posts, and real-time data across finance, shopping, and sports. For example, if you’re apartment hunting, you can dump all your specific requirements into your agent, and it will keep scanning listings around the clock. If you want to be the first to know when a favorite athlete announces a sneaker collab, your agent will alert you the moment a new drop lands. This feature will be available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer.
Agentic coding in Search will combine the latest Gemini models with Google Antigravity to build custom dynamic layouts and interactive visuals on the fly. Whether you want to grasp astrophysics or see how a watch works, Search can assemble components like interactive visuals, tables, graphs, or simulations in real time. This Generative UI capability will be free for all users starting this summer.
Finally, Search will soon create custom dashboards and trackers for ongoing tasks such as planning a wedding or managing a home move. These mini apps for your own specific tasks will roll out in the coming months, initially for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US.
(Source: 9to5google.com)
