Google is using Samsung’s Galaxy S26 launch to push Android further into what it calls an “intelligent system,” rolling out new Gemini-powered tools for everyday tasks, visual search and call protection.
Announced at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event, the updates build on Google’s long-running partnership with Samsung and will ship on the Galaxy S26 series at launch, with more capabilities promised over time.
Google is previewing a new way to hand off multi-step tasks to its Gemini assistant directly from the Galaxy S26. As a beta feature in the Gemini app on select devices, including the S26 series, users can long-press the phone’s side button and simply describe what they need done.
Google says the feature is designed for everyday chores that usually require bouncing between multiple apps and screens things like ordering a ride, organizing a group dinner order or building a grocery cart. Instead of setting everything up manually, you tell Gemini the goal and it starts working in the background.
While Gemini carries out the request, the phone remains fully usable. Users can send messages or check email while the task progresses, and they stay in control via notifications that show live status and offer options to jump in or stop the task entirely.
Examples Google gives include commands like “Book a ride home” or “Reorder my last meal.” During the beta, support will be limited to select apps in food, grocery and rideshare categories. The initial rollout will start in the US and Korea on select devices such as the Galaxy S26, with availability varying by app, device and market.
Smarter visual search and on-device scam detection
Google is also upgrading Circle to Search, its system-wide gesture that lets Android users search anything visible on their screens. Already available on hundreds of millions of Android devices, Circle to Search is now gaining multi-object image recognition on the Galaxy S26 and other supported devices.
Instead of focusing on a single product or item, the new capability can identify multiple elements in a scene at once. That’s meant to help in scenarios such as pulling inspiration for an entire gallery wall rather than a single artwork, or discovering every piece of an outfit—from top to footwear—when you see a look you like while scrolling.
With one gesture, Circle to Search can surface visual matches for each visible component of a style or scene. From there, users can browse, refine their preferences and build out a look or aesthetic.
Google is also expanding virtual try-on directly from Circle to Search. After uploading a photo, people can see how similar clothing styles from participating brands might look on them before buying, all within the visual search flow.
On the safety side, Google is bringing its Scam Detection feature, powered by an on-device Gemini model, into Samsung’s default Phone app on the Galaxy S26. The goal is to offer proactive protection while keeping call privacy intact.
During calls, Gemini analyses patterns on-device to detect potential scams. If something suspicious is identified, the phone provides an immediate audio and haptic alert so users can react in real time. Google emphasises that call audio is processed ephemerally, with no conversation audio or transcripts recorded, stored on the device, or sent to Google or third parties.
The feature is automatically disabled for anyone in a user’s contacts, and Scam Detection itself is powered entirely on-device, rather than in the cloud. Google notes that it is intended for adults (18+) and that availability is limited to select devices and markets.
Underpinning these capabilities is Google’s Gemini 3 series of models, which the company says are responsible for understanding user goals, asking follow-up questions when necessary and suggesting logical next steps as tasks progress. On the Galaxy S26, those models are being used both for convenience features like task automation and visual search, and for protections like scam detection.
Google frames these updates as an early step in defining a “new era of mobile intelligence” on Android, with the Galaxy S26 line serving as one of the first showcases for how deeply Gemini can be woven into the system and Samsung’s core apps.