Google is turning Search into your personal shopping and music assistant with AI Mode


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Jon is a seasoned journalist who has written definitive coverage of consumer tech at publications like Engadget, Android Authority, and BetaKit. He’s an expert on making tech accessible ranging from mobile and PCs to emerging platforms like wearables. When he’s not writing, he’s going on adventures with ihis family and is an avid photographer.

You no longer have to launch Gemini to have Google’s AI handle some tasks. Google is rolling out connections between AI Mode in search and multiple popular services, making it possible to complete some tasks with little more than a prompt.

The integration lets you add items from a grocery search to your Instacart shopping cart — you only have to check out to complete the purchase. If you’re in the early stages of designing a layout for a presentation or website, Canva can suggest templates. And if you’re determined to create a summer soundtrack, you can save the songs in your results to a YouTube Music playlist.

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The tie-in is initially available this week in the U.S. for an unspecified “range of partners,” with more apps and services due soon. It works on both mobile and the desktop.

Why is Google’s AI Mode search controlling my apps and services?

One less reason to use rival AI

Google isn’t the first with these kinds of features, even when considering specific apps. Anthropic’s Claude Design can use Canva to not only offer templates but even take passes at completed projects.

However, this theoretically reduces the temptation to use rival services, especially if you only need to complete quick tasks. Why talk to Claude or ChatGPT when the search box you already use can do the same thing?

This also reflects Google’s push for AI agents that perform even complex actions on your behalf. Android 17 introduces Gemini Intelligence that controls your phone for multistep processes like booking reservations and hailing rides. The AI Mode search update brings some of that philosophy to the web, making it just a matter of writing the right query.

This isn’t currently a full-fledged agent that can juggle work across services, and it certainly won’t help if what you need is offline. Even so, it advances Google search further beyond knowledge gathering and toward a digital assistant role. You might only need to run apps for particularly involved tasks.



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After months of rumors and two keynote events in May 2026, Google has finally released Android 17, the stable version. It’s rolling out to eligible Pixel devices today, including models in the Pixel 6 lineup, all the way to the latest Pixel 10 series.

The stable build contains plenty of features showcased at The Android Show and Google I/O, but if you were hoping to get your hands on Gemini Intelligence, that will ship later this summer to “select advanced devices.” With that out of the way, here’s what Android 17 offers at launch.

So what’s actually new in Android 17?

The most immediately useful addition is Bubbles, a feature that lets you access a select number of apps in the form of a floating window over another app or a circular app icon on the screen when minimized. 

You can access the feature by long-pressing an app icon and selecting the Bubble option. It’s best suited for your two or three-app workflows, letting you access them one after the other with a single tap on the screen. On foldables and tablets, bubbles dock into a dedicated bar at the bottom of the display. 

Android 17 also gets Screen Reactions, a feature that lets you record your phone’s screen along with your face (via the front-facing camera) simultaneously. It’s primarily for content creators, who can now make reaction videos without opening an editing app. 

What about gaming, security, and everything else?

On the gaming side, foldables get a new 50/50 layout with the game view up top and a dynamic gamepad below. Google has also made memory cleanup more efficient, so that gamers don’t experience frame drops and stutters while playing demanding video games. 

Security gets a meaningful upgrade with features like temporary location permissions and contact-level sharing controls (vs. sharing the entire address book). The Mark as Lost feature in the Find Hub now locks your phone via biometrics so nobody can unlock and reset it with the passcode.

Google also caps PIN guessing, with longer wait times between failed attempts. Rounding out the Android 17 update are hidden app names on the home screen, a dedicated volume slider for your AI assistant (Gemini on Pixel phones), Parental Controls expanding to all Android devices, and app memory limits for preserving system resources.  

Today is the day 👀

— Android Developers (@AndroidDev) June 16, 2026

While Pixel phones are the first to get the update, expect other OEMs to announce their Android 17-based updates in the coming weeks. Samsung, for instance, is expected to roll out One UI 9 at the second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year, rumored to take place on July 22, 2026. Other brands like OnePlus should follow soon.



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