Every Google I/O 2026 feature Nigerians can use right now

Google made over 20 announcements at I/O 2026. A good chunk of those features are US-only at launch, and the keynote did not always make that clear. This article cuts through everything and tells you exactly what you can open your phone and use today, what you need to pay for, what is coming your way soon, and what is simply off the table for now.

What you can use right now, for free

1. Gemini 3.5 Flash

Gemini 3.5 Flash is now the default model powering Google Search’s AI Mode and the Gemini app. Google confirmed this is a global rollout, so you are already using it every time you open Search or the Gemini app. You do not need to do anything to turn it on.

Google says it performs at the level of much larger models on coding and other complex tasks, while being faster than its predecessor.

2. The Gemini app’s new look (Neural Expressive)

The Gemini app got a full redesign. Google calls the new design language Neural Expressive. You will notice fluid animations, bolder typography, and a new way responses are formatted, with the most important information surfaced at the top, followed by inline images, timelines, and interactive visuals where relevant.

This is rolling out now to Android, iOS, and the web globally.

3. The new Search box (Intelligent Search)

Google redesigned the main Search box and is calling it the Intelligent Search box. This is the AI Mode upgrade, not an AI Overviews change. The box now expands dynamically for longer queries and accepts text, images, files, videos, and open Chrome tabs together in a single search.

From the Google blog: the new Intelligent Search box is rolling out today in all countries and languages where AI Mode is available. Nigeria is included.

4. Ask Play in the Google Play Store

Ask Play is a conversational AI overlay inside the Google Play Store. You can type questions like ‘what is the best offline puzzle game under 100MB’ and get an AI-generated recommendation with a summary of why each app fits your needs. It builds on AI-powered Q&A that already handles 95% of Play Store user queries, according to Google.

Ask Play is rolling out globally. The companion Play Shorts video feed is US-only at launch, but Ask Play itself is available to you.

5. Gemini Omni in YouTube Shorts and YouTube Create

Google’s new Gemini Omni model is now inside YouTube Shorts Remix and the YouTube Create app, and it is free for all YouTube users worldwide. You can use it to remix existing Shorts with AI-generated video layered in. Remixed clips come with SynthID watermarks and a link back to the original video.

6. Generative UI in Search (coming this summer, free)

This summer, Google Search will start generating custom visual layouts directly inside your search results. Think interactive diagrams, tables, simulations, and graphs built on the fly in response to your query. A search about how a mechanical watch works, for example, might produce an animated explainer rather than a list of links.

Google confirmed this is free for all users globally, including Nigeria, powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash.

7. Personal Intelligence in AI Mode (free, global, and Nigeria is included)

Personal Intelligence lets AI Mode draw on your Gmail and Google Photos to give you answers specific to your life. Ask ‘when is my next dentist appointment?’ and it will find the confirmation email. Ask ‘what hotel did I stay at in Port Harcourt in February?’ and it will pull the booking.

Before I/O 2026, this was a US-only, paid feature. Google expanded it at I/O to nearly 200 countries, in 98 languages, with no subscription required. You opt in; Google does not automatically connect your accounts.

What you can use right now, behind a subscription

1. Google AI Ultra: two tiers, both available in Nigeria

Image source: Google blog

Google restructured its premium plans at I/O 2026. There are now two AI Ultra tiers:

• AI Ultra at $100/month: 5x the usage limits of AI Pro, Gemini Omni Flash, YouTube Premium, and higher Gemini Flow credits. Google caps cloud storage at 20 TB on this tier.
• AI Ultra at $200/month: 20x the usage limits of AI Pro, full access to Project Genie with Street View, the highest access to Gemini 3 Pro and Deep Search, and no storage cap. The previous $250 plan was reduced to this price while keeping the same features.

Google confirmed AI Ultra is available in more than 150 countries. Nigeria is included. The Naira pricing was set when the top tier was $249.99 monthly. Expect Google to revise local pricing downward now that USD pricing has dropped.

One thing both Ultra tiers include that you cannot access in Nigeria yet: Gemini Spark. That is US-only for now. More on it below.

2. Project Genie + Street View (AI Ultra $200)

Project Genie is Google’s world-building model. The new Street View integration lets you pick a location on a map, choose a visual style like Ocean World or Stone Age, and then walk around an AI-generated version of that place at 720p and 24 frames per second, for sessions of around 60 seconds.

The catch for Nigerian Ultra subscribers: the Street View imagery is only anchored to US locations at launch. You can use Genie globally, but you can’t yet drop into an AI-generated version of Lagos or Abuja. Google says it will expand the location coverage over time.

3. Gemini Omni in the Gemini app (AI Plus and above)

Image source: Gemini

Free-tier users get Gemini 3.5 Flash in the Gemini app, which is already a significant upgrade. But Gemini Omni, the model that can generate and edit video from any input, is locked to AI Plus and above.

AI Plus costs $5 monthly, which is approximately ₦7,450. Google has offered this plan in Nigeria since September 2025. At that price, you get Gemini Omni’s cinematic video generation, in-chat video editing, and AI avatar features inside the Gemini app.

4. Docs Live (AI Pro and Ultra, coming this summer globally)

Docs Live is coming to Google Docs on Android and iOS this summer, in English, for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers globally. It lets you create and edit documents by talking, pulling context from your Gmail, Drive, and the web as you go. If you are on the AI Pro tier at $19.99 monthly or the Ultra tier, this will be added to your account.

Workspace business customers get it in preview on the same timeline.

What is coming to Nigeria soon

1. Android 17 (expected June 2026 on Pixel, later for other brands)

Google did not announce a specific release date for Android 17 at I/O 2026. The expectation, based on Google’s own ‘this summer on Pixel first’ language and reporting from Android Authority, is that stable Android 17 hits Pixel 6 through Pixel 10 in June 2026.

Samsung’s One UI 9, based on Android 17, is expected later in 2026, first on the Galaxy S26 series. OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Motorola will follow through late 2026 and into early 2027. Nigerian users with imported devices follow whichever OEM’s rollout schedule their phone is on.

2. Play Games Sidekick expansion

Play Games Sidekick is already live in more than 100 titles globally. This summer, Google is expanding it to all participating titles and adding social features so you can see which friends play the same games and track their achievements.

The overlay gives you Gemini-powered game tips, screenshot shortcuts, streaks, and Play Points coupons. Gemini Live screen sharing for in-game help is planned, but not live yet. You need at least 6 GB of RAM; Google will publish the full hardware specs in July 2026.

3. Gemini surfacing Play Store apps and content on the web

In the coming weeks, you will be able to discover apps and games directly through the Gemini app on Android and the web. Later this year, Gemini will also surface movies, TV shows, and live sports from more than 450,000 titles and deep-link you into the right app to watch or stream.

What Nigeria is locked out of, for now

1. Gemini Spark (US-only beta)

Gemini Spark is a 24/7 AI agent that runs in the background, monitors your Gmail for items you told it to watch for, takes action on your behalf, and compiles notes and drafts without prompting. It is available to AI Ultra subscribers in the US only, starting the week of May 26.

Sundar Pichai told reporters that it will eventually be free, but there is no timeline for when it will reach Nigeria.

2. Daily Brief

Daily Brief is a personalised morning digest inside the Gemini app. It pulls from your Gmail, Calendar, and Tasks to give you a summary of what matters and what needs your attention. Available to AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers in the US only.

3. Universal Cart

Universal Cart lets you add items from multiple merchants into a single Google Shopping cart, with background price tracking, stock alerts, and Google Wallet checkout. It is rolling out in Search and the Gemini app in the US this summer, then expanding to Canada, Australia, and the UK. Nigeria is not in the announced roadmap, and the merchants currently supported are all US-based anyway.

4. Gmail Live, Google Pics, Keep Voice AI

• Gmail Live: voice-activated inbox search. Ask out loud what your flight gate number is, and Gmail synthesises the answer from your emails. US-only for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer.
• Google Pics: a standalone image creation and editing app, initially launching as a website for AI Ultra subscribers in the US. Google’s own blog suggests it will eventually reach AI Pro subscribers globally, but the US-first launch is currently in effect.
• Keep Voice AI: talk your thoughts into Google Keep, and it automatically structures them into notes. US-only for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers this summer.

5. Intelligent Eyewear

Samsung and Google announced a joint line of AI-powered glasses under the Android XR banner, branded Intelligent Eyewear. The first products, designed with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, launch in select markets this fall. Africa is not named in any launch market list.

Pricing has not been announced. Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses start at $299, and Gentle Monster is a premium brand, so expect these to sit higher. Historically, Samsung hardware that does not launch officially in Nigeria reaches the grey market through importers, so availability is possible but not guaranteed at launch prices.