Google on Wednesday announced a series of updates to its Gemini AI-powered features on the Android operating system, the most notable being a new way to use the AI to handle multi-step tasks like ordering an Uber or food delivery. These automations join other Gemini improvements shipping today, including an expansion of scam detection for phone calls and Circle to Search updates that now let you identify all the items on your phone’s screen.
The automations, explains Google, allow users to essentially offload their to-do list to Gemini. In practice, however, the types of things that Gemini can manage are still limited.
The company says that the feature, which is in beta, will initially support select apps in the food, grocery, and rideshare categories.
It will also be limited to the Gemini app on certain devices, including the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S26 series. And it will initially be available only in the U.S. and Korea.
AI-powered automations could potentially go wrong, of course, so Google has added some protections. For starters, the automations can’t be kicked off without an explicit command from the device’s owner. As they run, you can watch their progress in real time and stop the task if it’s making a mistake or getting stuck. Google notes also that the automations take place in a secure, virtual window on your phone where they can only access limited apps, not the rest of the data on your device.
The feature ties into the growing trend of using AI to automate more tasks in users’ personal lives. ChatGPT, for instance, lets users create tasks that can be run on schedules or at specific times, as well as offering an agent that can complete a variety of computer-based tasks like navigating a calendar, generating a slideshow, or running code. Anthropic’s Cowork, meanwhile, brings the capabilities of its Claude AI to non-coding tasks, letting non-developers automate everyday file and task management. And, of course, an AI tool called OpenClaw recently went viral for its ability to manage everyday tasks like sending emails, managing calendars, checking into flights, and more.
Another Gemini update arriving now is the expansion of a Scam Detection feature for phone calls, which is becoming available on Samsung Galaxy S26 series devices in the U.S. (The feature is already offered on Pixel phones in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and the U.K.) Google is also using its Gemini on-device model to detect scam texts in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. on Pixel 10 series devices, and soon on the Galaxy S26 series phones, as well.
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Finally, Google says its Circle to Search feature, which lets you use gestures like scribbles and circling to initiate searches, can now search for everything you’re seeing on the phone screen, not just a single object. That means you can search every item of clothing and every accessory in an outfit you like, or learn more about a group of things and the related topic on the screen.
Google has been steadily releasing Gemini updates to its Android ecosystem at regular intervals through new operating system updates and updates targeted toward its flagship phone, the Google Pixel, via its frequent updates known as Pixel Drops. Meanwhile, Apple has been struggling to release a more comprehensive AI feature set, which is set to include an AI-powered Siri — a launch that was recently pushed back again to later in the year.
