Google announced a a lot Updates on I/O 2026. The company’s first modern smart glasses (called “intelligent eyewear”) Coming later this yearas is Google’s Universal Cart Shopping Assistant. There is even A brand new AI modelOmni, which can create any output from any input, does wonders for our AI-generated misinformation problem. But not everything Google announced on Tuesday is now available (or free, for that matter). Most new workspace features, for example, require some kind of subscription, as do many AI enhancements coming down the pike. If you want to test Omni today, you can, but you need to pay for one of Google’s AI subscriptions.
However, the good news is that there are some features and changes that Google announced at I/O that you can try right now without paying a single penny. These are new adjustments to apps and services you use every day, like Google Search, the Gemini app, or Gemini itself. While Google has more free I/O features coming later this year (and as soon as this summer), these are the announcements you can experience today:
Gemini 3.5 Flash is now in Google Search and the Gemini app
Google I/O 2026 was all about AI. As such, one of the biggest announcements came from the keynote Gemini 3.5 FlashThe latest update for Google’s Gemini model. It’s the first model in the Gemini 3.5 family, as Google says it’s still working on the Gemini 3.5 Pro.
According to Google, the Gemini 3.5 Flash competes with other flagship AI models “on multiple parameters”. The company says 3.5 outperforms 3.1 Pro in Flash coding and agentic benchmarks, and is the industry leader in multimodal understanding. Because it’s a “flash” model, it’s designed to be faster than other models that prioritize performance over speed. At that point, Google says the 3.5 Flash is four times faster than other “Frontier” models.
Taken at its word, the Gemini 3.5 Flash is an option for anyone using AI. If you’re a developer, Google says Flash 3.5 will save you time and money, as it’s often less than half the price of comparable models. But for the rest of us who don’t use AI to code or develop, Gemini 3.5 will be most accessible in Google Search and the Gemini app. As of Tuesday, this is the model powering Google’s flagship AI products, so if you’ve used Gemini in the last 24 hours, you’ve used Flash 3.5.
Google’s new AI “Intelligent Search” box is already rolling out
There are a lot of changes coming to Google Search, many of which fundamentally change how the platform works. Google wants search to be a true AI-driven experience, one that focuses more on interacting with the AI mode and AI overview than the answers it gets from individual links and sources. As sites continue to lose traffic to these AI updates, it is no exaggeration to say that this new approach could change the web forever.
Those big changes are coming next week. Today, however, you’ll notice other changes when using Google Search. Of course, now you know that the underlying AI model is powering the AI mode and AI overviews Gemini 3.5 is flashBut That’s far from the only change. Perhaps the most notable update is the new “Intelligent Search” box. When you select “AI mode” in the search box, Google Gemini 3.5 taps into Flash to provide AI-powered suggestions as you type. As advertised, the feature seems to be intended for more conversational searches rather than quick questions. Things like “I’m looking for a new hobby and I’m interested in pottery”. As you type, Google can suggest the following: “Is it easy to learn to throw a wheel or make a hand?” The idea is to suggest what you’re going to ask to save time or search terms you might not have thought of yourself. The feature is also multimodal, so you can search for images, files, videos, or Chrome tabs in addition to text.
Google started rolling out the feature to users on Tuesday, so it could go live on your end, but it might take a while. (As of this article, I still don’t see it.)
What do you think so far?
AI mode just got easier to use
AI overview is divisive: While many find it convenient for quick results, Others criticize the instrument’s accuracy. (Don’t forget the AI overviews Once recommended putting glue on pizza to keep the cheese from falling off.) However, if you enjoy using Google AI search tools, you’ll love this next change.
On Tuesday, Google rolled out an update to AI Overviews that makes it easier to jump directly into AI mode from results. Now, when you get the AI overview, you can choose to expand it, which features a chat box at the bottom of the window. If you want to continue asking questions about the topic, you can use this to go into “conversation” via AI mode.
More search features are coming this summer
Google has several new search features coming later this summer as well. Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can try out “Information Agents,” which monitor certain topics, sales or trends and alert you when things change. Free and paid users alike will be able to use search agents to book things including restaurant reservations and private karaoke rooms. In addition, Google is introducing Universal Cart For everyone this summer, which lets you add items from multiple stores to one digital cart.
But perhaps the biggest update for free users, in my view, is agentic coding. Google will use Gemini 3.5 Flash to create interactive elements in real-time based on your queries. If you’re asking about black holes, Google can make you a demo that you can play with to see how it works. It will also be out for free this summer.
The Gemini app has received a “neural expressive” design update
Apart from running Gemini 3.5 Flash, the Gemini app gets a new visual design refresh. Google calls this “Neural Expressive,” with new animations, colors, typography, and haptic feedback. It certainly has a different look than the original Gemini app or Google’s usual design scheme, so if you’re interested in a UI refresh, you can check it out today.
