Gemini can now automate some multi-step tasks on Android | TechCrunch

Google on Wednesday announced a number of updates to its Gemini AI features in the Android operating system, the most significant of which is a new way to use AI to handle multi-step tasks like ordering an Uber or delivering food. These automations join other Gemini enhancements shipping today, including fraud detection enhancements for phone calls and updates to Circle to Search, which now allows you to identify any item on your phone screen.

Automation, Google explains, essentially allows users to move their to-do list to Gemini. In practice, however, the types of things Gemini can handle are still limited.

The company says the feature, which is in beta, will initially support select apps in the food, grocery and ride-sharing categories.

It will also be limited to the Gemini app on certain devices, including the Pixel 10 series, Pixel 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26. And initially, it will only be available in the US and Korea.

Of course, AI-powered automations could go wrong, so Google has added some safeguards. For starters, automation cannot be triggered without an explicit command from the owner of the device. As they run, you can monitor their progress in real time and stop the task if it makes a mistake or gets stuck. Google also notes that automations run in a secure virtual window on your phone, where they only have access to limited apps, not the rest of the data on your device.

This feature follows the growing trend of using AI to automate more tasks in users’ personal lives. For example, ChatGPT allows users to create tasks that can be run on schedules or at specific times, and also offers an agent that can perform various computing tasks such as navigating a calendar, generating a presentation, or running code. Meanwhile, Anthropic’s Cowork brings the capabilities of its Claude AI to non-coding tasks, allowing non-developers to automate day-to-day file and task management. And of course, an AI tool called OpenClaw recently went viral for its ability to manage everyday tasks like sending emails, managing calendars, checking in flights, and more.

Another Gemini update available now is an expansion of the fraud detection feature for phone calls that is available on the Samsung Galaxy S26 series devices in the US (the feature is already offered on Pixel phones in the US, Australia, Canada, India, Ireland and the UK). Google also uses its model on Gemini devices to detect fraudulent texts in the US, Canada and the UK on the Galaxy and S2 series and the Galaxy and 160 series.

Finally, Google says its Circle to Search feature, which lets you use gestures like scribbles and circles to start a search, can now search everything you see on your phone screen, not just a single object. This means that you can search for every item of clothing and every accessory in an outfit that you like, or learn more about a group of things and a related topic on the screen.

Google keeps releasing Gemini updates for its Android ecosystem at regular intervals through new OS updates and updates targeting its flagship, the Google Pixel, through frequent updates known as Pixel Drops. Meanwhile, Apple has been pushing to release a more comprehensive set of AI features to include an AI-powered Siri — a launch that was recently pushed back to later in the year.