Google I/O 2026: Gemini Web Gets New “Avatar” Feature alongside Major Google Flow Android & Video Updates

Google I/O 2026 has officially kicked off, and the tech giant is unleashing a massive wave of AI updates aimed directly at content creators and everyday web users. This year’s focus heavily bridges the gap between everyday productivity and advanced generative media.

The two biggest highlights taking center stage include a mysterious new “Avatar” (Likeness) integration appearing on the Gemini web interface, and a massive feature drop for Google Flow, which officially makes its debut on Android with advanced character and scene-building controls.

1. Gemini on the Web: The Mysterious New “Avatar” Feature Emerges

If you use Gemini on your desktop browser, you might notice a new addition to your interface very soon. Google has started a gradual rollout of a new “Avatar” (referred to in underlying code as Likeness) feature.

[Gemini Web Interface] 
       └── Settings ➔ Personal Intelligence ➔ Avatar (Rolling Out)

What We Know So Far

• The Current State: While the menu options and interface code are actively deploying to global platforms, the feature is not yet functional. Clicking or trying to initialize it will yield an inactive state as Google prepares for a backend server-side activation.

• How It Works: Borrowing foundational technology from the “Likeness” feature developed for Android XR, this tool will allow users to create a permanent, highly precise 3D digital twin of themselves.

• The Core Use Case: Instead of having to upload a reference selfie every time you want to prompt an image model, you can simply type @me into your prompt. Gemini will seamlessly insert your exact likeness into any AI-generated image frame or environment.

2. Google Flow Drops Massive Updates: Characters, Scenes, and Native Android App

While Gemini web focuses on static personal avatars, Google Flow—Google’s powerhouse AI creative studio—is receiving massive upgrades designed to streamline high-end video generation using its latest Veo 3.1 architecture.

Persistent AI Characters & Scene Controls

The hardest part of AI video generation has always been consistency. If you generate an image of a character in one clip, they usually look like a completely different person in the next. Google Flow is fixing this by introducing dedicated Characters and Scenes.

• Reusable “Ingredients”: Users can now build and define distinct AI characters. Once saved as a project asset, you can type @CharacterName in your video prompt to reuse that exact person across multiple video clips.

• Native Character Voices: To complement the visual character stability, Flow now provides different character voices. This utilizes Veo 3.1’s native audio generation, meaning your characters can speak lines of dialogue with consistent vocal identities matching the scene’s physics.

Google Flow Is Now on Android

In a move to capture the mobile creator market, the Google Flow app for Android is officially available for download. Mobile creators can now orchestrate multi-shot video projects directly from their phones or tablets.

The mobile app layout relies on a clean, tag-based workflow:

[ + New Project ] ➔ [ Describe Scene/Action ] ➔ [ Tag Ingredients (@Character) ] ➔ [ Tap Video ]

Pro Tip for Clean Outputs: When uploading reference images for your Flow characters or objects, Google recommends using a plain or segmented background. This helps the Veo model separate the subject from its surroundings and blend them more seamlessly into new environments.

Availability and Next Steps

The Google Flow Android App and its advanced video tools are rolling out immediately via Google Labs and Google AI Plus subscription tiers. Meanwhile, the Gemini Web Avatar framework will continue showing up on users’ desktop accounts over the coming days, with full functionality expected to be switched on shortly after Google I/O concludes.

Interested in reading more about Google Gemini news. Read our full Google Gemini coverage by clicking here.

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