Google gave the Gemini app a major overhaul at I/O 2026. The app looks different, with new animations and colors, but the bigger change is what it can do now. Google wants Gemini to go from something you ask questions, to something that can actually do things for you in the background, thanks to a new AI agent called Spark. Think of it as going from a search box to a personal assistant that can read your email, check your calendar, and handle tasks on its own while you go about your day.
Gemini Spark runs in the background around the clock
The biggest addition is Gemini Spark, a new AI agent that keeps working even when your phone is locked. You can set it up to handle recurring tasks, like going through your credit card statements to find subscription fees you forgot about, or monitoring your kid's school emails and turning them into a daily summary. It can also take a set of meeting notes, turn them into a Google Doc, and draft a follow-up email to send.
Spark works with Gmail, Docs, Slides, and other Google apps, and it connects to outside services like Canva, OpenTable, and Instacart. Google says it will ask your permission before doing anything like spending money or sending an email on your behalf. More integrations are expected over the summer.
Spark is rolling out as a beta next week for US subscribers on the new $100 a month Google AI Ultra plan. That is the only way to get it right now.
Read more: Gemini wants to use your data to help you. Should you let it?
A morning briefing from your inbox and calendar
Daily Brief is a more practical feature for most people. It pulls your urgent emails, upcoming calendar events, and follow-ups into a prioritized morning digest with suggested next steps. You can train it over time with thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback so it gets better at knowing what matters to you.
Daily Brief is rolling out now for all paid US subscribers, including the cheaper Plus and Pro plans.
Google restructures its subscription tiers
Google restructured its subscription tiers at I/O. The new $100 a month Ultra plan includes Spark, higher usage limits, 20 TB of cloud storage, and a YouTube Premium subscription. The previous top tier dropped from $250 to $200 a month with even higher limits. At a time when there are growing concerns about AI subscriptions delivering less and less for more and more money, the price cut is a welcome move. Google also switched from daily usage caps to a compute-based system that refreshes every five hours, which should mean fewer surprise cutoffs mid-conversation.
The app also gained Gemini Omni, a new model that can generate and edit video from text prompts. You can describe changes like adding a zoom or swapping a background, and it will make them. Omni is available now to all paid subscribers worldwide.
Gemini now has over 900 million monthly active users, more than double the 400 million Google reported at last year's I/O.
[Image credits: Google, phone mockup via Canva]
