Google Unveils Gemini 3.5 Flash-Powered Search Box With 24/7 Search Agents at I/O 2026

Google unveiled a redesigned Search box at I/O 2026 on Tuesday, transforming the text field into an expandable, multimodal command center powered by the Gemini 3.5 Flash model.

“What you need to know - Google is replacing its classic keyword search era with the biggest Search overhaul in 25 years, driven entirely by AI”

Android Central

The new Search field grows to accommodate long, conversational queries and accepts text, images, videos, files, and Chrome tabs as input, while Google says the interface is “completely reimagined with AI.”

Android Central

After users hit enter, Google introduced Search agents that operate 24/7 in the background, monitoring topics and sending updates without requiring users to repeatedly check for new information.

Google’s example described an agent that can handle a query like "Keep me updated when any of my favorite athletes announce sneaker collabs or signature drops" and notify users when relevant changes occur.

Google also said the updated search box rolls out globally across desktop and mobile starting Tuesday, with users able to select the “Web” tab for traditional link results.

Google said AI Mode is now powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash as the default model globally starting May 19, and that asking a follow-up question in an Overview redirects into AI Mode.

MakeUseOf described the Search box as “the biggest upgrade in over 25 years,” noting it expands dynamically and uses AI-powered suggestions that go beyond autocomplete.

blog.google

Google also said users can create custom agents directly in the search bar, with information agents running continuously in the background and sending notifications when new information matches user criteria.

In one example, Google said Search can build custom generative UI and interactive visualizations on the fly, including a visualization for astrophysics, and it can also generate dashboards and trackers that users can revisit.

The blog post framed agentic booking as well, saying users can share criteria like “find a private karaoke room for six on a Friday night that serves food late” and Search brings together pricing and availability with direct links to finish booking.

Google said Gemini now has more than 900 million monthly users across 230 countries, and it tied the urgency of the rollout to the competitive landscape of paid AI business subscriptions.

“Trending: West Asia war updates Shooting in the US Putin visits China Rohit Sharma Twisha murder case Air India glitch Close the sidebar Google I/O 2026: Google Search gets its biggest AI upgrade in 25 years Unnati Gusain _•_ May 20, 2026, 00:14:37 IST Google has announced a major AI overhaul for Search at Google I/O 2026, introducing Gemini 3”

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Technobezz reported that Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said Google expects to spend about $180 to $190 billion this year on AI infrastructure and chips, while Ramp data showed Anthropic at 34.4% of paid AI business subscriptions in the U.S. in April, OpenAI at 32.3%, and Google at 4.5%.

Google also said the new intelligent Search box is starting to roll out today in all countries and languages where AI Mode is available, and it described the experience as seamless across desktop and mobile worldwide.

The company said information agents will launch first for Google AI Pro & Ultra subscribers this summer, while agentic booking capabilities will roll out to everyone in the U.S. this summer.

Google added that generative UI capabilities will be available for everyone in Search this summer, free of charge, and it said the search overhaul is part of a broader set of AI updates unveiled at I/O 2026 across Search, Android, Chrome, Workspace and Cloud.