Send tips/talk to abner@9to5mac.com or @technacity (open DMs).
Abner Li has worked at 9to5Google since 2015 and in late 2020 took on the role of editor-in-chief. He is keenly focused on tracking what happens at Google, and is often the first to spot new features in Google’s ever-growing family of applications that are updated on a daily basis, including Search, Assistant, Maps, Workspace, Android, Chrome/OS, Wear OS, and YouTube Music.
To him, what Google does greatly impacts the technology space and modern life. Inside the company, he is particularly interested in the key products mentioned above, as well as services like Google Podcasts and Google Lens. Each are massive platforms that can be unwieldy to grasp, with Abner keenly bent on understanding their philosophy and future direction. He is most excited about Google’s plans for augmented reality glasses.
Abner spearheads the APK Insight program at 9to5Google to chronicle all changes in the company’s Android apps, often finding new features before they are officially announced. This includes redesigns and revamps, launches, and new products.
A big area of interest is Google’s hardware division, including Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. He detailed all of the Pixel 3’s camera features before launch and scooped the 2nd-generation Nest Hub’s Soli-powered Sleep Sensing capability, including how it would integrate with Google Fit.
Recently, Abner detailed the Pixel Watch’s specs in full before launch, including bands and pricing. He also got wind of the Pixel Tablet’s ultimate form factor.
Besides Gmail announcements, Google at I/O 2026 announced AI voice features for Docs and Keep. The company also unveiled “Google Pics” as the newest Workspace app.
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At I/O 2026, Google announced two big updates for Gmail, starting with a new Live voice search experience.
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Alongside all the feature announcements, Google announced that Gemini is switching away from daily prompt limits, while AI Ultra is now cheaper.
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Google Search received big updates at I/O 2026. For starters, AI Mode is now powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash globally and has over 1 billion users every month.
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At I/O 2026, Google had a number of Android XR announcements, including a sneak peek at the first two audio-only Samsung glasses with designs from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.
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At I/O 2026, Google announced a tidal wave of new Gemini-powered features across its biggest products and services that will soon be available. We’ve compiled all the consumer-facing announcements and notable developer developments below.
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At I/O 2026, Google announced major updates to Gemini across the underlying model and new app features. The Gemini app now has over 900 million monthly active users.
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I/O 2026 kicks off today as Google’s biggest event of the year to showcase what’s new for users and developers. Gemini and AI will undoubtedly be the big focus. Join us as we live blog the two-hour keynote live from Mountain View.
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Google is rolling out an update to the Find Hub app on Android that lets you add location sharing notifications.
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Ahead of I/O 2026, Google continues to roll out Gemini app features, with some users now seeing a “Thinking level” option.
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As we head into I/O 2026, Google is tweaking the Gemini app icon to be a touch more colorful.
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Google has rolled out version 4.69 of Fitbit for Android as the last update before the Google Health rebrand.
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Google is giving developers of third-party calling apps the ability to integrate with Phone by Google and other system dialers.
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Google today released Android Canary 2605, with this preview build adding much more blur to the system UI on Pixel devices.
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In the ramp up to I/O 2026, Google has been working on adding a more advanced agent capability to the Gemini app. It now looks like it will be branded as “Gemini Spark.”
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Following last week’s launch, Snapseed 4.0.1 for Android is rolling out with a shortcut to quickly launch the new Camera experience.
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Google is using on-device AI to analyze how you use your Android phone and provide “Contextual suggestions.”
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Following yesterday’s Googlebook announcement, the company released a post aimed at existing enterprise and educational Chromebook users.
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The Magic Pointer on Googlebook was built with Google DeepMind. The research team behind this underlying capability shared more about the premise of AI-enabled pointers.
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Last month, Google said it was redesigning the ‘Home & Nest Community’ and we now know what it looks like.
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At The Android Show, Google today announced the latest security and privacy features for the mobile operating system.
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In January, desktop Chrome gained an auto browse capability powered by Gemini. This is now coming to Chrome for Android with deeper Gemini integration.
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At The Android Show today, Google previewed Googlebooks as a new category of laptops that takes the best of Android and ChromeOS.
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Google today announced “Gemini Intelligence” as the overarching name for a new series of AI features on premium Android devices.
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