Google Embeds Gemini Deeper Into Android With Task Automation, Custom Widgets, and Smarter Forms

Google announced Gemini Intelligence on May 12, 2026, a new AI capability layer for Android that automates multi-step tasks, rewrites spoken messages, fills out complex forms, and lets users build custom home screen widgets using plain language. The features, introduced at the Android Show 2026, represent the most direct integration of Gemini into Android's core experience to date.

The announcement signals a deliberate shift in how Google frames Android. Rather than positioning Gemini as a standalone assistant, the company is threading its AI capabilities into everyday device interactions, from browsing and text input to home screen customization and form completion.

From Assistant to Infrastructure

The initial rollout targets the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones, with broader availability across Android devices, including watches, cars, glasses, and laptops, expected later in 2026.

The centerpiece of the announcement is multi-step app automation. Gemini can navigate tasks across apps on a user's behalf:

Reserve a spot in a fitness class without opening the app manually
Pull a course syllabus from Gmail and build a shopping cart from the required reading list
Receive live progress updates via notifications throughout every task
Gemini acts only on the user's command, stops once the task is complete, and leaves a final confirmation to the user

Visual context adds another dimension. A user can hold their phone over a grocery list and ask Gemini to build a delivery cart from the items shown, or photograph a travel brochure and ask it to find a matching tour on Expedia for a group of six.

The Browser Gets Smarter, and So Does Every Form Field

Starting in late June, Gemini in Chrome arrives on Android with research, content summarization, and comparison tools across the web. Chrome's auto browse feature will handle routine tasks like appointment booking and parking reservations on behalf of the user.

On the autofill side, Google is connecting Gemini's Personal Intelligence to its existing Autofill feature, allowing Android to pull relevant information from connected apps to fill out complex forms automatically, including in Chrome. The connection is strictly opt-in, and users can toggle it on or off in settings at any time.

Rambler Takes Aim at the Gap Between Speech and Writing

One of the more distinctive features in the announcement is Rambler, a Gboard add-on that addresses a specific and long-standing friction in voice-to-text:

Existing speech-to-text captures words accurately, but the way people actually speak does not translate cleanly into written messages
False starts, repeated phrases, and filler words create clutter that standard transcription passes through unchanged
Rambler takes naturally spoken input and converts it into a concise, polished message automatically

The feature runs on Gemini's multilingual model and can switch between languages mid-message, handling combinations like English and Hindi without losing context or tone. Audio is used only for real-time transcription and is not stored.

Widgets You Build With Words

The updated interface accompanying Gemini Intelligence builds on Material 3 Expressive, Google's existing design language, with animations designed to reduce distraction and keep attention on the task at hand.

Why It Matters

The Gemini Intelligence announcement reflects a broader competitive dynamic. Apple has been building out on-device AI features under the Apple Intelligence brand, while Samsung has embedded Galaxy AI capabilities across its recent flagship lineup. Google's move consolidates Gemini's role not as a separate app but as the intelligence layer running through Android itself.

For users, the practical shift is from a phone that responds to a phone that acts. The degree to which that plays out depends on how reliably the automation features perform across apps and use cases that Google has not fully tested at scale. The company says it spent months fine-tuning multi-step automation on the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10 with popular food and rideshare apps before this broader rollout.

Whether Gemini Intelligence holds up outside those controlled conditions, and how quickly it reaches devices beyond the flagship tier, will determine whether this announcement represents a genuine platform shift or an aspirational preview.