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Google I/O

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Google I/O is the annual developer conference held by Google. Its keynotes, sessions and demos cover Google's developer platforms and products. The 2026 edition took place on 19 and 20 May 2026 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, and online at io.google.[1] The first conference under the I/O name was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on 28 and 29 May 2008.[2]

Google has used I/O to present many of its virtual reality and augmented reality projects. The 2012 keynote included a live Google Glass demonstration in which skydivers streamed video from the glasses. Attendees of the 2014 keynote were handed Google Cardboard viewers, and the 2016 conference introduced the Daydream mobile VR platform. Later editions brought ARCore features, the Project Starline 3D video booth and, from 2025, Android XR glasses.[3][4][5][6]

Reviewed 11 October 2026. Re-opened every cited source and checked edition dates and venues (2008, 2012, 2014-2016, 2020, 2021, 2025, 2026), each VR/AR announcement in the table, quotes and attributions, and the July 2026 Samsung eyewear follow-up. About review dates.

History

Early years at Moscone Center (2008-2015)

Google announced the first I/O in March 2008 as a two-day event on 28 and 29 May 2008 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Search Engine Journal described it at the time as a developer event on "Web 2.0" application development, with topics including Ajax and JavaScript, Google's developer tools, social network APIs, and Android and Mobile Gears for mobile web apps.[2] The Moscone Center was still described as the conference's usual venue when Google moved the 2016 edition to Mountain View.[7]

The keynote on 27 June 2012 featured Google's Project Glass head-mounted display. Two men jumped from a plane over San Francisco wearing the glasses and streamed live video as they parachuted onto the roof of the Moscone Center. Other performers rappelled down the side of the building, and a bicycle team rode through the conference center to the keynote stage. Google said developers attending I/O could pre-order the glasses for US$1,500, and that they would not be available until 2013.[3]

At the end of the 2014 keynote on 25 June 2014, Sundar Pichai told the audience that everyone attending would receive a "nondescript cardboard package".[8] The package was Cardboard, a viewer made of brown cardboard with two lenses, Velcro and a pair of magnets that worked with the phone's magnetometer as a button; an NFC tag launched the companion app when an Android phone was inserted. Google released a VR Toolkit the same day, and the Cardboard app included a Google Earth flyover, a Street View demo and a 360-degree video viewer.[4] A year later, at I/O 2015, Google showed a redesigned viewer for phones up to 6 inches with three-step assembly, extended the Cardboard SDK to iOS, and announced Expeditions for schools and the Jump 360-degree video platform, for which GoPro was building a 16-camera rig.[9]

Google I/O 2016

In January 2016 Google announced that I/O 2016 would run from 18 to 20 May at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, the city of Google's headquarters, instead of the Moscone Center. 9to5Google gave the amphitheatre's capacity as 22,500, against 6,075 for the Moscone ballroom used for earlier keynotes. Pichai said the event would mark ten years since Google's first developer day at the Googleplex.[7] The conference also grew to three days, which it had not been since 2013, and its published session topics included VR and Project Tango.[10]

The main VR announcement of the 2016 keynote on 18 May was Daydream, which Road to VR described as Google's "label for high performance virtual reality" on Android. Google's VR head Clay Bavor named eight manufacturers (Samsung, HTC, LG, Xiaomi, Huawei, ZTE, Asus and Alcatel) building "Daydream Ready" phones, several of them due that fall.[5] Google also announced a VR mode for Android N and showed reference designs for third-party hardware makers: a headset sketch whose specifications covered optics and comfort, and an oval controller with a clickable touchpad, a few buttons and an orientation sensor for motion input. Google said the first devices would arrive in the fall, and named Hulu, Netflix, HBO, IMAX, Ubisoft and EA among its content partners.[11] Google's own Daydream View headset launched in October 2016.[12]

Cancellation and virtual edition (2020-2021)

I/O 2020 had been scheduled for 12 to 14 May 2020 at Shoreline Amphitheatre. In early March 2020 Google cancelled the physical event because of concerns over the coronavirus, and said ticket holders would be refunded.[13] The conference returned from 18 to 20 May 2021 as a free virtual event streamed on YouTube, with the keynote on 18 May.[14]

Return to Shoreline and Android XR (2025-2026)

I/O 2025 was held on 20 and 21 May 2025 at Shoreline Amphitheatre and online.[15] Its XR news centred on Android XR. Google showed glasses prototypes that pair the Gemini assistant with a camera, microphones, speakers and an optional in-lens display, demonstrated live translation between two people, and said trusted testers were already giving feedback. It named Gentle Monster and Warby Parker as its first eyewear partners, said it hoped to work with Kering Eyewear later, and extended its partnership with Samsung from headsets to glasses.[6][16] On the developer side, Google released Developer Preview 2 of the Android XR SDK and said Samsung's Project Moohan headset would launch first, later in 2025, followed by Xreal's Project Aura, a tethered developer edition.[17] The same conference renamed Project Starline as Google Beam.[18]

Google announced the dates of I/O 2026 on 17 February 2026, and said the program would include keynotes, fireside chats and product demos.[1] On 19 May 2026 Google and Samsung gave a first look at "intelligent eyewear": two frame designs, one from Gentle Monster and one from Warby Parker, that run Android XR and use Gemini. Google split the category into audio glasses, which give spoken help, and display glasses, which show information in view. It said audio glasses would launch first, "later this fall", and would pair with both Android and iOS phones.[19][20] Samsung introduced the eyewear at Galaxy Unpacked in London on 22 July 2026, describing the designs as building on "the concepts announced at the latest Google I/O" (see Samsung Intelligent Eyewear).[21] Xreal said at I/O 2026 that Project Aura would go on sale before the end of 2026, and the wired glasses were on display for attendees to try.[22]

Format

Google describes the conference program as "keynote addresses from Google leaders, fireside chats, product demos and more".[1] The in-person event moved in 2016 from the Moscone Center to Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, close to Google's campus; the 2025 and 2026 editions were also held there.[10][15][1] The keynote and many sessions are streamed; the 2021 developer keynote, for example, followed the main keynote on the Google Developers YouTube channel.[14] Several XR developer releases have coincided with the conference: the Cardboard VR Toolkit in 2014, ARCore updates in 2018, and new Android XR SDK previews in 2025 and 2026.[4][23][17][24]

Notable XR announcements

The table lists VR and AR announcements made at I/O, as reported by Google or by press coverage from the event.

Year Announcement Source
2012 Live Google Glass demonstration with skydivers landing on the Moscone Center roof; Glass Explorer Edition pre-orders opened to developers attending, at US$1,500, for 2013 delivery [3]
2014 Google Cardboard viewers handed to keynote attendees; Cardboard app and VR Toolkit released the same day [4][8]
2015 New Cardboard viewer for phones up to 6 inches; Cardboard SDK for iOS; Expeditions classroom program; Jump 360-degree video platform with a 16-camera GoPro rig [9]
2016 Daydream platform, Android N VR mode, Daydream Ready phones from eight makers, and reference designs for a headset and controller [5][11]
2017 Standalone Daydream headsets on a Qualcomm reference design, with HTC Vive and Lenovo devices planned; WorldSense inside-out positional tracking; ASUS ZenFone AR as the next Tango phone; Visual Positioning Service (VPS) for indoor location; Expeditions AR [12]
2017 Google Lens announced [25]
2018 ARCore Cloud Anchors for shared AR across Android and iOS, Vertical Plane Detection, Augmented Images and the Sceneform SDK [23][26]
2018 Google Maps AR walking navigation demo, with directions and arrows overlaid on the camera view; Google gave no release date [27][28]
2019 AR in Google Search: 3D models with "View in 3D" and "View in your space" options, with partners including NASA, New Balance, Samsung, Target, Visible Body, Volvo and Wayfair [25]
2021 Project Starline, a 3D video booth with a 65-inch 8K light field display [29][30]
2022 ARCore Geospatial API, anchoring AR content by latitude, longitude and altitude in over 87 countries [31]
2022 Video of a prototype pair of AR glasses showing live translation and transcription as subtitles, with a simulated point of view [32]
2023 Smaller Project Starline prototype using a few standard cameras and AI techniques instead of infrared emitters and special cameras [33][34]
2024 Pre-recorded Project Astra demo on prototype glasses with a fixed heads-up display; no product announced [35]
2025 Android XR glasses prototypes with Gemini; Gentle Monster and Warby Parker as eyewear partners; Samsung partnership extended to glasses; Android XR SDK Developer Preview 2; Project Moohan named as the first Android XR device and Xreal's Project Aura as the next [6][16][17]
2025 Project Starline renamed Google Beam, with the first devices from HP [18]
2026 First intelligent eyewear designs from Samsung, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker; audio glasses due in fall 2026 with Android and iOS support [19][20]
2026 Android XR SDK Developer Preview 4 (AI glasses renamed audio glasses, display AI glasses renamed display glasses); Android XR Developer Catalyst Program; Project Aura due before the end of 2026 [24][22]

2017 and 2018

Clay Bavor's 2017 announcement post described the standalone Daydream headsets as a new device category that "don't require a phone or PC", built on a reference design Google made with Qualcomm. The same post said VPS was already working in partner museums and selected Lowe's stores, and that Expeditions AR would reach schools that fall through a Pioneer Program.[12] In 2018 Google said Cloud Anchors would let people on Android and iOS share an AR scene, for example to redecorate a room together, and that Sceneform let Java developers build 3D apps without learning APIs such as OpenGL.[23][26] TechCrunch described the Maps walking navigation demo as "a sort of proof of concept" and reported that Google was "playing around with a few ideas" and would not give a timeline.[27]

Project Starline

Project Starline was presented at I/O 2021 as a booth for capturing and displaying 3D video of the person on the other end of a call.[30] Clay Bavor wrote that it combined research in "computer vision, machine learning, spatial audio and real-time compression" with a light field display that gives a sense of depth without glasses or headsets, and that it was then installed in a few Google offices, with enterprise trials planned for later in 2021.[29] In technical details published later in 2021, Google reported that people using Starline made about 40 percent more hand gestures and 25 percent more head nods, behaviors it associated with in-person conversation.[30] At I/O 2023 Google showed a prototype that it described as "going from the size of a restaurant booth to a flat-screen TV".[33][34] At I/O 2025 Google said the project was "evolving into" Google Beam, a 3D video communication platform built around an AI volumetric video model, and that HP would show the first Beam devices at InfoComm.[18]

Glasses demos from 2022

The 2022 keynote ended with a video of a prototype pair of glasses that showed translated speech as subtitles. Pichai introduced it with the line "Let's see what happens when we take our advancements in translation and transcription", and TechCrunch noted that Google made no promise the product would reach the market.[32] In 2024 a pre-recorded Project Astra clip switched from a phone to prototype glasses with a fixed heads-up display. UploadVR reported that a "Prototype Shown" disclaimer appeared near the end and that the keynote did not mention Android XR.[35] Google returned to glasses in 2025 with an on-stage demonstration of Android XR glasses working with Gemini, and in 2026 with the first intelligent eyewear designs.[36][19]

Current status

The most recent edition, I/O 2026, ran on 19 and 20 May 2026 at Shoreline Amphitheatre and online.[1] Its Android XR developer material, Developer Preview 4, described the SDK as covering "headsets, wired XR glasses, and intelligent eyewear". Google said XR Runtime, Jetpack SceneCore and the perception features of ARCore for Jetpack XR would soon move to beta, added a preview of the ARCore Geospatial API for wired XR glasses, and opened applications for the Android XR Developer Catalyst Program, which gives selected developers early access to display glasses, audio glasses and Project Aura hardware.[24]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Save the date! Google I/O 2026 is May 19-20.". The Keyword. Google. 2026-02-17. https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/developers-tools/io-2026-save-the-date. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Julie Kent (2008-03-12). "Google to Hold Web 2.0 Developer Event in May". Search Engine Journal. https://web.archive.org/web/2008/http://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-to-hold-web-20-developer-event-in-may/6511/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sharon Gaudin (2012-06-27). "Google's computerized glasses steal the show at I/O". Computerworld. https://www.computerworld.com/article/2505107/google-s-computerized-glasses-steal-the-show-at-i-o.html. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Neil McAllister (2014-06-26). "Google's Oculus-defying VR headset is made of CARDBOARD - no joke". The Register. https://www.theregister.com/2014/06/26/google_cardboard/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ben Lang (2016-05-18). "Samsung, HTC, LG, and More Bringing 'Daydream Ready' VR Phones to Android". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/samsung-htc-lg-and-more-bringing-daydream-ready-vr-phones-to-android-vr-virtual-reality/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Shahram Izadi (2025-05-20). "A new look at how Android XR will bring Gemini to glasses and headsets". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products/android/android-xr-gemini-glasses-headsets/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Abner Li (2016-01-12). "Google I/O 2016 kicks off May 18th at larger Shoreline Amphitheatre venue in Mountain View". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/?p=128893. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Timothy J. Seppala (2014-06-25). "'Cardboard' is Google's attempt at an inexpensive VR headset". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2014-06-25-google-vr-cardboard.html. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Chris Wood (2015-05-28). "Google announces its plans for virtual reality at I/O 2015". New Atlas. https://newatlas.com/google-vr-io-2015/37764/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kellen (2016-04-21). "Google I/O 2016 Schedule is Live, Time to Start Planning". Droid Life. https://www.droid-life.com/2016/04/21/google-io-2016-schedule-live-time-start-planning/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Brian Heater (2016-05-18). "This is Google's new Daydream VR headset reference design, hardware to start arriving in the fall". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/18/google-vr-headset/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Clay Bavor (2017-05-17). "The latest on VR and AR at Google I/O". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products/google-ar-vr/latest-vr-and-ar-google-io/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  13. ↑ Henry Burrell (2020-03-04). "Google I/O cancelled due to coronavirus concerns". Tech Advisor. https://www.techadvisor.com/article/737101/google-i-o-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus-concerns.html. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Abner Li (2021-05-18). "How to watch the Google I/O 2021 keynote". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2021/05/18/watch-google-io-2021/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Save the date: Google I/O is May 20-21, 2025.". The Keyword. Google. 2025-02-11. https://blog.google/feed/google-io-2025-save-the-date/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Ben Lang (2025-05-20). "Google Partners with Prominent Eyewear Makers for Upcoming Android XR Smartglasses". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/google-partners-with-prominent-eyewear-makers-for-upcoming-android-xr-smartglasses/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Matthew McCullough (2025-05-20). "Android XR SDK Developer Preview 2". Android Developers Blog. Google. https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/05/updates-to-android-xr-sdk-developer-preview.html. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Andrew Nartker (2025-05-20). "Google Beam: Our AI-first 3D video communication platform". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/research/project-starline-google-beam-update/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Shahram Izadi (2026-05-19). "Intelligent eyewear is coming this fall". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/android-xr-io-2026/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Abner Li (2026-05-19). "These are the first Android XR audio glasses, coming this fall with iPhone support". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2026/05/19/android-xr-audio-glasses/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  21. ↑ "Samsung Brings Galaxy Ecosystem Into Everyday Eyewear". Samsung Global Newsroom. Samsung Electronics. 2026-07-22. https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-brings-galaxy-ecosystem-into-everyday-eyewear. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Ben Schoon (2026-05-19). "XREAL's Android XR glasses will launch before the end of 2026, early access for devs". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2026/05/19/xreal-project-aura-android-xr-developers-2026-launch/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Anuj Gosalia (2018-05-08). "Experience augmented reality together with new updates to ARCore". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products/google-ar-vr/experience-augmented-reality-together-new-updates-arcore. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Amy Zeppenfeld, Stevan Silva (2026-05-19). "Updates to the Android XR SDK: Developer Preview 4". Android Developers Blog. Google. https://developer.android.com/blog/posts/updates-to-the-android-xr-sdk-introducing-developer-preview-4. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Abner Li (2019-05-07). "Augmented reality coming to Google Search with real-world 3D models". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2019/05/07/google-ar-web-io-2019/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Nicole Lee (2018-05-08). "Google adds shared AR experiences to Android". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2018-05-08-google-arcore-updates.html. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Brian Heater (2018-05-08). "Maps walking navigation is Google's most compelling use for AR yet". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/08/maps-walking-navigation-is-googles-most-compelling-use-for-ar-yet. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  28. ↑ Abner Li (2018-05-08). "Google Maps' new 'For you' tab introduces personal recommendations, AR camera features". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2018/05/08/google-maps-new-for-you-tab-introduces-personal-recommendations-ar-camera-features/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Clay Bavor (2021-05-18). "Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/research/project-starline/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Abner Li (2021-11-30). "Google details Project Starline tech & feedback, including photorealistic render comparisons". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2021/11/30/google-project-starline/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  31. ↑ Ryan Daws (2022-05-12). "ARCore Geospatial API helps developers build immersive experiences". DeveloperTech News. https://www.developer-tech.com/news/arcore-geospatial-api-developers-build-immersive-experiences/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Brian Heater (2022-05-11). "Google Glass's successor teased at I/O". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/11/google-glasss-successor-teased-at-i-o. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Andrew Nartker (2023-05-10). "A first look at Project Starline's new, simpler prototype". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/research/project-starline-prototype/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Ben Lang (2023-05-16). "Google Reveals Latest Project Starline Prototype, Its Light-field Telepresence Platform". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/google-project-starline-latest-prototype-telepresence-io-2023/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 David Heaney (2024-05-14). "Google Teases Multimodal AI Smart Glasses With A HUD At I/O 2024". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/google-ai-smart-glasses-hud-demo-i-o-2024. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  36. ↑ "Watch how our Android XR glasses work with Gemini in the real world". The Keyword. Google. 2025-05-23. https://blog.google/products/android/android-xr-glasses-demo-io-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
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