Google has announced a significant series of updates to its Gemini AI-powered features on the Android operating system, marking a notable advancement in how users interact with their devices. Among the most prominent improvements is a new capability for Gemini to handle multi-step tasks, effectively allowing users to automate complex processes such as ordering an Uber or arranging food delivery directly through AI commands. These new automations are part of a broader rollout that also includes enhanced scam detection for phone calls and expanded functionalities for the popular Circle to Search feature.

The new AI-powered automations are designed to allow users to "offload their to-do list to Gemini," as explained by Google. This feature, currently in beta, aims to streamline daily routines by enabling Gemini to execute sequences of actions across different applications. Initially, this functionality will support a select group of apps within the food, grocery, and rideshare categories. Furthermore, its availability will be limited to the Gemini app on specific devices, including the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. Geographic availability is also restricted at launch, with the feature rolling out exclusively in the U.S. and Korea.

Recognizing the potential for AI-powered automations to go awry, Google has incorporated several robust protection mechanisms. Critically, automations cannot be initiated without an explicit command from the device owner, ensuring user control. As a task executes, users can monitor its progress in real-time, providing an opportunity to intervene and stop the automation if an error occurs or if the process gets stuck. Google also emphasizes that these automations operate within a secure, virtual window on the user's phone, granting them access only to the limited, relevant apps and safeguarding the rest of the device's data from unauthorized access.

These developments align with a broader industry trend towards leveraging AI to automate personal and professional tasks. Examples from competitors include ChatGPT, which offers scheduled tasks and an agent capable of navigating calendars, generating slideshows, and running code. Anthropic’s Cowork utilizes its Claude AI for non-coding tasks, empowering non-developers to automate file and task management. Similarly, the viral AI tool OpenClaw has gained attention for its ability to manage everyday activities like sending emails, organizing calendars, and checking into flights, illustrating the growing demand for such intelligent assistance.

Beyond task automation, Google is also expanding its Scam Detection feature for phone calls. This crucial security update is now becoming available on Samsung Galaxy S26 series devices in the U.S. It's important to note that this feature was already present on Pixel phones across various regions, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and the U.K. Complementing this, Google is deploying its Gemini on-device model to detect scam texts. This text-based scam detection is available on Pixel 10 series devices in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., with plans to extend it to the Galaxy S26 series phones in the near future.

Finally, the acclaimed Circle to Search feature receives a significant upgrade. Previously allowing users to identify a single object using gestures like scribbling or circling, it now enables comprehensive searches for *all* visible items on the phone screen. This enhanced capability means users can effortlessly search for every item of clothing and accessory in an outfit they admire, or gather information about an entire group of objects and their related topics presented on the screen, offering a much richer and more versatile search experience.

Google's consistent release of Gemini updates across its Android ecosystem, delivered through both operating system updates and targeted 'Pixel Drops' for its flagship Pixel phones, highlights its proactive approach to AI integration. This steady progress contrasts with Apple's reported struggles in releasing a more comprehensive AI feature set, including an AI-powered Siri, whose launch has been repeatedly pushed back, further underscoring Google's momentum in the competitive AI landscape.