Google I/O 2026 kicks off May 19, and if the past few years are any indication, AI is going to be the main attraction. The two-day event will be livestreamed and is expected to cover updates across Gemini, Android, Chrome, and more â with keynotes, demos, and what Google calls “Dialogues” sessions featuring conversations about where AI is headed.
Last year's keynote livestream was long, so prepare yourself. Google I/O 2025 ran nearly two hours and touched nearly every corner of the company's product lineup, from its consumer apps to developer tools to hardware.
Gemini dominated the conversation, with Google rolling out model updates, deeper Workspace integration, and a wave of new AI-powered features across Search, Shopping, and beyond.
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The company also used the stage to pull back the curtain on its AR/VR ambitions with Android XR, including a new XR headset built with Samsung and Qualcomm, as well as a pair of Android XR smart glasses. This year, we're hoping for a better look at those Google XR glasses â hopefully with a working demo this time.
Check back on May 19 for Mashable's live coverage of the annual event. In the meantime, here's what's likely on the table for Google I/O 2026.
A new version of Gemini
A major Gemini model update is widely expected to be the centerpiece announcement. Whether it lands as a 4.0 or something in between, a newer, more capable version of Google's flagship AI is almost certainly coming, per CNET's preview of the event. Gemini is already embedded across most of Google's product lineup, so whatever gets announced will have a wide reach.
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A next-generation model would set the tone for the company's entire product roadmap going forward.
On the more speculative end, our tech editor Timothy Beck-Werth thinks I/O 2026 could also bring updates to some of Google's other AI tools â Nano Banana, Gemma, Lyria, and Genie, among…