Whatever Google Announced at The Android Show: I/O Edition is Here!: Android 16: Here&#039, s

Google just kicked off this year’s I/O with its first-ever Android Show, giving us an early look at Android 16 a week before the main keynote on May 20 and 21.

Check out: We ‘Stole’ a Phone From Google’s Sameer Samat and Were Dazzled by Android 16

Center stage is Material 3 Expressive, Google’s new design for Android and Wear OS, which brings new dynamic colors, springy animations and a more fluid experience to your smartphone and watch.

It’s not all about looks, though.

Google also previewed new features and settings, like smarter notifications, improved privacy and security and greater customization. And oh, yeah: Gemini AI is coming to more of your devices, like watches, cars, TVs and even Samsung’s upcoming XR headset. 

From the biggest Android redesign in years to Gemini rolling out across more devices, here’s everything new, including Android 16, Wear OS 6, new tools to fight scammers and features focused on keeping your data safe.

Android 16 is getting a major redesign

Google’s Material 3 Expressive design pushes Android’s trademark customization even further. The theme this year seems to be “springy,” as in more fluid, as well as putting natural animations into every corner of your user interface. 

Interactions feel more tactile: Swipe away a notification and the whole stack ripples with a spring‑loaded motion, along with a satisfying haptic rumble when you snap the notification off. Even everyday gestures, like swiping down the shade, scrolling recent apps or adjusting the volume slider, all now come with the same playful bounce. 

And you’ll see these changes, as well as updated dynamic color themes and bolder typography, across your entire phone, including in Google apps like Gmail and Google Photos.

Besides aesthetics, Android 16 also brings new functionality to your phone. In Quick Settings, you can squeeze in more of your favorite toggles, like Flashlight and Do Not Disturb, while the new Live Updates feature lets you easily track real‑time progress notifications (your Uber Eats delivery, a rideshare ETA, navigation directions, etc.) so you never have to hunt for these status alerts. 

Expect Android 16 to debut first on Pixel devices later this year, with partner phones to follow.

Read more: Find out why we’re fans of Android 16’s newer, bouncier look, and how Gemini will improve your Google TV experience. 

Wear OS 6 is rounder, smoother and longer-lasting

Material 3 Expressive is also landing on your wrist, this time shaped around Wear OS’ circular screens. As you scroll through your watch, lists animate so that more information is accessible, buttons stretch to hug the bezel of your watch so that they’re more easily tappable, and the animations are also smoother and easier to follow, like on your phone. 

Dynamic color theming syncs the whole system with your watch face palette, so that your interface feels cohesive instead of cobbled together. Tiles have been reengineered to surface more information, like a one‑tap shortcut to your favorite contacts or workout. With continued improvements to performance and power optimization, you can expect up to 10% more battery life, the company says. 

Wear OS 6 is arriving later this year.

3 privacy and security features coming to Android 16

Android’s security playbook is getting three solid upgrades aimed at keeping you one step ahead of scammers, thieves and hackers.

For starters, the AI-powered Scam Detection feature, which blocks suspicious messages within Google Messages, is getting smarter and better at spotting new text scams. On Android 16, Scam Detection can now flag everything from crypto “investment” hustles to bogus toll‑road fees, blocking billions of shady texts each month.

Next, we have Find Hub, a new dashboard where you can track your phone and luggage tag or check that your child made it home safely. The service is adding more third‑party Bluetooth tags, and later this year, it will tap satellite connectivity (where carriers support it) so you can still share your location when cell service drops out. Google is also teaming with airlines like British Airways and Singapore Airlines to let you share your tag’s location with the airline for speedier luggage recovery.

To round things out, Android 16 folds Google’s beefiest security settings into an easier‑to‑toggle Advanced Protection mode. Flip it on and you get the same privacy and security features Google reserves for high‑risk users, like journalists and politicians, including stronger sign‑in requirements, stricter app checks and extra safeguards against malware.

Gemini is coming to more of your devices

Google is pushing forward to bring Gemini onto every screen you own, whether it’s your watch, dashboard, TV or the mixed‑reality headset Samsung is releasing later this year.

On Wear OS you’ll soon be able to call out reminders mid‑workout (“Remember that I’m using locker 43”) or dig up restaurant details without pawing at your keyboard. 

In the car, Gemini takes over voice duties from Google Assistant, letting you speak to navigate to an EV charger near a park, summarize chaotic group chats, or catch you up on the day’s news while you drive.

Back at home, Gemini on Google TV will serve up kid‑safe movie picks and pull YouTube explainer videos on demand (“How big is Jupiter, exactly?”). And on Android XR, Google’s new platform for headsets and smart glasses, you’ll be able to plan an entire vacation in immersive 3D, surrounded by maps, videos and local tips. 

Gemini is also coming to Sony and Samsung earbuds.

Gemini is coming to your car

Google is bringing its Gemini AI assistant into your driver’s seat, first on the 250 million vehicles that already run Android Auto (in the coming months), then on Google‑built‑in dashboards in car models like the Lincoln Nautilus, Renault R5 and Honda Passport (later this year).

With Gemini, you’ll be able to talk to your car the way you talk to a passenger. You can ask Gemini to “always text Joe in Spanish,” surface taco joints along your route, or find an address in a buried Gmail thread, all without you having to memorize any complicated phrases or poke at your screen. 

And with Gemini Live, you can workshop ideas (“How do I ask for that promotion?”) and learn something new (“Tell me everything about Frank Lloyd Wright”) hands‑free in your car.

Google’s car advancements don’t stop at AI. The company is also adding new apps to its catalog, along with new categories like games and videos, so that charging stops and school pickups are a little bit more entertaining. It’s also rolling out digital car keys to more brands, including Audi, Volvo and Polestar. 

Expect deeper demos of everything next week at Google I/O.