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Google is finally giving users the option to change their Gmail address without deleting their account or making a new one, and it’s so easy to do.

Shopping appears to be one of the big pushes for AI in 2026, and Google is giving Gemini about as large as a boost as it could in this arena thanks to a new partnership with Walmart.

2026 could be a blockbuster year for Google after some serious success across almost all areas in 2025. What should and could we expect? Here are a few early-year thoughts and expectations.

On a Google support page, the company says it is rolling out a new option to let users change their email address even if it is an “@gmail.com” address.

Google’s parent company Alphabet has announced an acquisition of Intersect, a “data center and energy infrastructure” company that aims to provide additional support for building out its capacity for AI.

Over the last few weeks of staggered rollouts, some users have gained access to Gemini for Home, which adds Google’s AI assistant to existing Nest devices. The upgrade seems to be breaking some automations, though.

One of the lesser-known features that Google offers is a “Dark Web Report” monitoring tool, but it’s about to shut down in early 2026.

Disney announced a billion dollar agreement with OpenAI this morning over use of its characters, and Google’s going to have to pray it doesn’t alter the deal any further.

After launching the “Remix” tool in August in a server-side update, Google Photos is bringing the image-to-cartoon feature to more users in a much wider rollout.

After teasing in September, Google Chrome for iOS is now more widely rolling out a built-in Gemini experience.

Google’s various AI tools have been proving their worth as of late, but a common criticism is how Google has built these tools by scraping the work of publishers and creators across the web without explicit permission or compensation, and now the EU is launching an investigation into the matter.

The latest Android Canary build is available today and it features work by Apple and Google to make switching between Android and iPhone devices easier.

Circle to Search is getting a new trick that detects suspicious messages or web content, letting users know why it could be part of a scam.

Android 16 QPR2 is here today, but Google’s not solely focusing on new features and changes. Alongside those announcements, the company is also bringing a whole host of improvements and changes to accessibility on Android. In addition to some helpful changes to hearing aids, captions, and more, Google is also building Gemini models into Smart Dictation and Guided Frame on Pixel devices for improved responses.

Just a few weeks after launching its first AI-generated ad, Google has returned with something a little more realistic, but just as timely. Ahead of the holidays, the company is throwing a Love Actually reunion in its latest Pixel ad, even if the star might not be as famous as he thinks he is.

If you’ve seen scattered reports across social media regarding Gmail’s newfound focus on training Google’s AI models on your emails, you can take a deep breath, as the company says these reports are “misleading.”

Just like sponsored cards that appear in any normal Google Search results, ads are reportedly starting to creep into AI Mode searches.

Out of nowhere, Google brought cross-platform AirDrop support to the Pixel 10 this week, allowing the company’s latest lineup of flagships to safely and securely send photos, files, and more to the iPhone. While it initially seemed like this was a rogue move made by Google to coerce Apple into another boundary-breaking decision, it might actually be part of the repercussions that also led to USB-C on iPhone and the adoption of RCS.

Google announced today that Android’s Quick Share now works with Apple’s AirDrop system on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac to allow for easy file transfer between platforms/operating systems.

Google has announced a lawsuit in the US that aims to take down “Lighthouse,” an organization that sends scam phishing texts such as the USPS scams that everyone seems to get.

It’s been less than a week since Disney-owned channels went off the air for YouTube TV subscribers, but we’re still seeing some unintended effects ripple through the industry. Following Disney’s move to pull its vast collection of original and acquired entertainment, Movies Anywhere is the next platform to see a hit from the House of Mouse.

Google has released a handful of new merch ahead of the holiday season, with the latest batch including a familiar Android plushie and more.