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Gemini task automation is slow, clunky, and super impressive

The Verge / 3/21/2026

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Key Points

  • Gemini's new task automation on the Pixel 10 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra allows the AI to control compatible apps to perform tasks like ordering food or booking rides, though the support is currently limited to a small subset of services in beta.
  • The feature is described as slow and occasionally clunky and not yet solving major user problems, but it represents a significant step toward a true mobile AI assistant.
  • The reviewer calls it impressive and a glimpse of the future, marking the first time a functioning AI assistant works on a phone rather than only in keynote demonstrations.
  • The rollout is limited and experimental, underscoring potential future capabilities rather than a broad, ready-for-all users release.
Galaxy S26 Ultra phone showing Gemini task automation interface
An AI assistant that can actually get things done.

I've been testing out Gemini's new task automation on the Pixel 10 Pro and the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which for the first time lets Gemini take the wheel and use apps for you. It's limited to a small subset right now - a handful of food delivery and rideshare services - and it's still in beta. It's slow, it's clunky at times, and it doesn't solve any serious problem you had using your phone. But it's impressive as hell, and I don't think it's hyperbole to say this is a glimpse of the future. We're still a long way off, but this is the first time I've seen a true AI assistant actually working on a phone - not in a keynote presentation or a careful …

Read the full story at The Verge.