I/O 2026 is bringing more AI to Google Play

Key points

• This year's Google I/O has introduced a pile of updates for the Google Play storefront.
• Most of the new features are developer-focused as usual, but there are a couple standout changes to the way that regular Android users will interact with the store.
• We knew that AI would be a big factor in Google's upcoming plans, with Gemini Intelligence announced during the Android Show: I/O Edition, and of course there's more artificial intelligence to be had.
• Google Play is rolling out a new AI-powered feature called Ask Play.
• It's an overlay that allows users to ask natural language questions in order to find new apps.