Google is fighting against cybercriminals by introducing OS verification to Android 17, telling you whether your phone's OS is the real deal.

Google I/O 2026 takes place on May 19, but today, Google hosted a livestreamed warm-up event called The Android Show: I/O Edition. As you might have guessed, it's mostly focused on Android news. Much of what was shared at The Android Show was fairly small and incremental,

Google has announced a slate of creator-focused updates coming with Android 17 at the Android Show I/O Edition, including deeper Instagram camera integration, AI-powered tools in the Edits app, and new a Screen Reactions feature.

Google has announced a major refresh for all 4,000 emojis on Android. Google will replace the existing flat emojis with 3D ones later this year. When they first arrive, the new emojis will roll out to Pixel devices.

Google detailed Android security updates for 2026, including verified bank calls, stronger theft protection, OTP hiding, and spyware forensics.

The highlight of this year’s Android Show was Googlebooks, a new line of laptops running Android. They can cast apps from Android phones, pull files directly from a connected Android device, and offer contextual AI suggestions using the mouse pointer. Google says the first of these Chromebook successors are “coming this fall.”

The threat landscape is evolving, Google warns, confirming a raft of new Android changes to bring “AI-powered protections and advanced safeguards” to phones. This is the most comprehensive security offer that has ever come to Android.

The walls are coming down, but which side of the fence is better? We pit Apple and Google against each other across 14 essential categories to see who truly rules the smartphone space.

Android Auto's biggest update in a long time is here, bringing a redesigned interface, new features, and significant improvements to Google Maps integration.