For many of us, switching to a new phone merely involves transferring the data from our old phones. This process tends to be easier if the two phones are of the same brand. But what if you're starting fresh and want to know what apps to download? Well, Google has a new plan for that.
Play Store into Gemini
At Google I/O 2026, the company announced the integration of the Play Store in Gemini. This move adds several AI-focused features to the Google Play Store, including app recommendations. Mind you, Gemini could already do this before, but it pulls the app information from the web like any other Gemini queries. With the Play Store integration, Gemini can now provide listings, reviews, and a quick way to install apps.
Aside from the Gemini-powered Ask Play feature, Google discussed its Play Games Sidekick feature at the event. First introduced in March this year, this AI-powered assistant places an in-game overlay that can deliver "AI-generated Game Tips, rewards, and achievements". This gives gamers extra content to work on, which could keep them playing the game for longer.
More than just apps
In addition, Google plans to expand Ask Play's use beyond app discovery. The company will expand it to include the Play Store's content library later this year, allowing users to get recommendations for over 450,000 movies, TV shows, and more. As you can tell, Google isn't going to stop integrating its various platforms into Gemini. Of course, it's mostly good because it has made Gemini usage more worthwhile with certain Google services and apps.
But what do you think of Google Gemini in 2026? Have these changes made it more useful for you? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news.
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