Main points
- The Google I/O 2026 conference will take place on May 19-20 in a live broadcast format, focusing on the development of artificial intelligence and new technologies.
- Google will introduce new multimodal model capabilities, Android 17 updates, Chrome tools, and other innovations for developers.
Google I/O 2026 / Collage of Channel 24/Google
The annual Google I/O event is returning in May 2026 with an ambitious plan to transform the digital world. Organizers promise to focus on developing intelligent systems that will become the basis for the next generation of software and personal devices
What is Google I/O and when can we expect the event in 2026?
Google I/O is a large-scale annual developer conference held by Google. The event is usually held in May in California and serves as the main platform for the presentation of new software products, services and technological visions of the company. It is not intended for ordinary users, but it is still broadcast live for everyone and attracts the attention of Android device owners. Usually the company only touches on software, but there have been cases when we were also given brief announcements of hardware devices, writes 24 Kanal .
According to Google's official website, this year's conference will be held on May 19-20 in a live broadcast format, covering keynotes and specialized technical sessions. The event will begin on Tuesday, May 19, with the main Google Keynote presentation, which will last from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. Pacific Time (20:00 – 21:45 in Ukraine).
Later that day, there will be a developer talk that will go into more technical details about the new tools and platforms. This part is not usually broadcast to everyone, as it includes topics that are directly related to development.
What will people talk about in 2026?
- The central theme of this year's event will again be the development of artificial intelligence, in particular the transition to the era of agent-based AI, writes 9to5google. The company plans to demonstrate its full stack of technologies, including the latest capabilities of multimodal models, media content generation, and robotics.
- The event will focus on the Gemma family of open models, showcasing new applications and tools for scaling them. Developers will have access to infrastructure that allows them to build intelligent agents and use innovative programming techniques known as vibecoding. Google also plans to discuss the future of quantum artificial intelligence with leading industry experts.
- The Android 17 operating system is also getting an update with the slogan of adaptability in everything. The new concept assumes that users will be able to switch seamlessly between smartphones, cars, TVs and augmented reality devices. The main driver for creating such interfaces remains Jetpack Compose, which is now optimized for various form factors, including foldable devices and desktops. Android 17 will also feature new capabilities for working with media and cameras, and AI-based automation will help users complete everyday tasks faster.
- The updates will also affect the Chrome browser, which will become even more functional and intelligent in 2026. Developers will introduce new Chrome DevTools tools designed specifically for working with artificial intelligence. In the field of web design, the main focus will shift to native CSS and HTML capabilities, which will allow you to create complex animations that are activated when scrolling the page, and smooth transitions between views with a minimum amount of code.
- Developer platforms are also undergoing a transformation. Firebase is evolving into an agent-centric system that allows you to quickly build full-fledged applications thanks to integration with Google AI Studio and new cloud tools.
- The Flutter framework will receive an update called GenUI, which will allow you to generate responsive interfaces directly while the application is running.
- Finally, the latest tools and updates are being prepared on Google Play, designed to help companies grow their businesses.
All of these innovations are aimed at making the development process more efficient and the end products smarter and more convenient for users around the world.