In March 2026 Google unveiled a set of AI updates designed to make AI feel less distant and start helping you with everyday things. Travel, work, browsing, health, or music — everything got improvements so your device is more proactive and useful without you needing to be an expert.
The essentials
Google focused its announcements on making AI more contextual and practical. The idea: that Gemini and AI Mode features better understand your context (trips, projects, shopping preferences) and act as more proactive, personalized assistants. Immediate result? Tools that help you create, search, and move with less effort.
Live Search and Canvas: help in real time
Search Live expanded globally in countries where AI Mode is available. You can start a dialogue using your voice or camera for troubleshooting, travel tips, or instant object ID. Perfect for when your hands are full: manage searches without typing.
Also, Canvas in AI Mode rolled out across the United States in English as a dynamic space to organize plans and long projects. It's no longer just about finding answers — it's a place to write, plan, and even code with AI helping along the way.
Gemini inside Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive
If you use Google Workspace, Gemini can now help inside Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. AI Ultra and Pro subscribers get tools that synthesize info from files, emails, and the web to offer useful insights while keeping your data protected.
Specifically, Gemini in Sheets showed notable improvements for complex data analysis and collaborative work, making it a more reliable assistant for actual office tasks.
More conversational Maps and immersive navigation
Google Maps gained Ask Maps, a conversational experience that answers concrete questions like "where can I charge my phone without waiting long" and can even book on your behalf. Driving navigation is now more visual and natural with Immersive Navigation, which blends real images with more intuitive directions.
Personal Intelligence: your preferences, at your pace
Personal Intelligence expanded to AI Mode in Search, Gemini in Chrome, and the Gemini app in the U.S. It securely connects with apps like Gmail and Photos to deliver personalized results: from shopping recommendations to itineraries based on your plans. You control what connects and can change it anytime.
Migrate history and memory between assistants
Switching to Gemini no longer means starting from scratch. Google launched features to import history and memory from other AI apps so your preferences and context follow you without tedious manual transfers.
Pixel Drop: smarter daily utilities
The March update for Pixel added practical features: Circle to Search can now break down a full look from a photo, Magic Cue suggests restaurants in chats, and there are improvements like Now Playing history and new Pixel Watch features such as Express Pay and phone-based locking.
Live translation on more devices and countries
Live Translate with headphones came to iOS and expanded across both systems to more countries, supporting over 70 languages. Traveling or working with people who speak another language? This makes real-time conversations easier without interruptions.
Health: The Check Up 2026 and partnerships
At its annual health event, Google announced a $10 million fund to reinvent clinical education in the AI era and partnerships with rural health leaders. Fitbit also expanded its personal coach in Public Preview with more tailored advice on sleep, general health, and new features for cycle tracking, mental wellbeing, and nutrition.
Lyria 3 Pro: AI-generated music
Lyria 3 Pro arrives to make AI-generated music richer: tracks up to three minutes with control over sections like intro or bridge. Lyria and Lyria 3 are in public preview for developers through the Gemini API and Google AI Studio, expanding creative tools for musicians and creators.
Gemini 3.1 models: Flash-Lite and Flash Live
Google released Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite, its fastest, most cost-effective model for heavy loads with low latency, and Gemini 3.1 Flash Live, its best audio model to date, built for fluid conversations. Both are intended for real-time experiences and are already used in Search Live and Gemini Live.
Google AI Studio and 'vibe coding'
Building an app can now feel like describing it: Google AI Studio added the Antigravity agent that turns prompts into production-ready apps. You can build multiplayer modes, connect databases and real services, while the agent remembers project context and securely stores your API keys.
A look back: 10 years of AlphaGo
Google also reflected on AlphaGo's impact a decade after its historic win. That milestone spurred advances like AlphaFold, which solved the protein-folding problem and opened new possibilities in biomedical research.
Putting all this together shows how AI stops being just a lab thing and enters routines: it helps you plan, translate, create music, navigate, and even take care of your health. Not magic—engineering focused on real use cases.
