Google’s Pixel Drop lets Gemini order groceries, book rides and more

Google is rolling out a new Pixel Drop update that deputizes its Gemini assistant to carry out multi-step, background chores on qualifying phones, allowing the AI to place orders, book ride-hails and re-order favorite takeout without the user navigating apps step by step.

On supported devices Gemini can interact with compatible apps to complete tasks such as ordering groceries, managing food and grocery delivery, and booking a cab. Google says the capability is included in the March Pixel Drop and is available now on the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, with Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series included among the initial devices supported. Google said the initial rollout includes users in the United States and Korea.

Users will summon the feature with a long press of the power button on supported phones, Google says, then issue a request and let Gemini run the necessary steps in the background. Google frames the release as an early preview of more agentic features that will expand with Android 17 and new platform tools. The company says AppFunctions and a UI automation framework will allow agents to automate tasks across apps and device makers, a move Google describes as shifting “from an operating system to an intelligent system, a platform that truly understands and works for you,” according to Sameer Samat, head of Android, on LinkedIn.

Google has outlined several guardrails intended to limit risk and keep users in control. Gemini “will keep you updated about the progress of an automated task with notifications, allowing you to stop it at any time, and it will run each task ‘in a secure, virtual window on your phone’ that keeps it out of other apps,” the company said. Google also tells users to supervise agentic actions closely and to interrupt them when necessary.

The rollout leaves several important questions open. Google has not published a comprehensive list of third-party apps that Gemini can control and says it will work with “select apps only.” DoorDash is a named example. The company has not specified how complex requests can be, what permissions the assistant requires to access accounts, or the full global timetable for expansion beyond the initial markets named.

The feature is designed to reduce repetitive tasks, with Google saying Gemini will perform steps across apps so users do not have to. The company pitches the change as a developer opportunity as well, claiming AppFunctions will let creators expose actions in calendar, notes and task apps without extra engineering work. Google describes the platform as doing “the heavy lifting, so developers can achieve broad reach with zero programming effort,” in its materials.

The Pixel Drop also includes updates to Circle to Search across the Pixel 10 lineup. Google says the tool can now break an outfit into individual pieces and offer a virtual try-on option, letting users search for garments and preview looks without leaving the image.

As Google extends Gemini into more agentic roles, the company is balancing convenience against the risk of mistakes or unintended account actions. Its stated safeguards aim to give users notice and an emergency stop, but the rollout highlights how rapidly smartphone assistants are moving from suggestions to hands-off execution and how much trust that transition will require.