Google I/O is a week away, but Android gets its own milestone first.
The company announced last week that The Android Show: I/O Edition would return on Tuesday, May 12, a virtual showcase that it said will explain why this is “one of the biggest years for Android yet,” according to Google. The event comes a week before Google I/O 2026, giving Android its own runway before Google’s broader developer conference turns its attention to AI, Gemini, Chrome and the rest of the company’s sprawling software universe.
Google I/O 2026 takes place May 19-20 at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, and online. The company has already structured this year’s event around AI advancements and updates across its core product lines, including Android and Gemini.
It hasn’t been specified what will be announced at this year’s Android Show. But last year’s I/O wasn’t just a teaser. Google used it to introduce Android 16, Wear OS 6, a major Android design refresh, expanded Gemini features across all devices, and new security tools intended to protect users against scams and other threats.
That makes this year’s show worth watching even before the I/O keynote begins. Android has become one of the most obvious places where Google’s AI ambitions manifest themselves in everyday life: on phones, watches, tablets, cars, TVs, and any new categories of devices that Google then integrates into its ecosystem.
Watch this: Google I/O 2026: new Gemini, smart glasses and all-new laptop operating system. Here’s what to expect
How to watch Google’s Android show
The Android Show: I/O Edition will stream virtually on May 12 via Google’s Android events page and YouTube. Google I/O begins a week later, with the keynote scheduled for May 19 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. BST).
CNET will be following the event for any Android, Gemini and device announcements.