Google is working on a new API for Android 16 that lets system apps perform actions on behalf of users inside applications. This new API is guarded by a permission that’ll be granted to the default assistant app, ie. Gemini on new Android devices.

Even back when Gemini was simply called Bard, we had the notion that Google Assistant was on life support. Now that Google has massaged Gemini into Android’s very core, we know that it will sunset Assistant sooner or later. Well, Android 16 might make Gemini much more of an assistant than Google Assistant.

Google released the first Android 16 developer preview earlier this week and keen-eyed observers are already uncovering interesting tidbits, including one that hints about a much more useful future for Google’s AI assistant.

Gemini for Android now makes use of the Android share sheet, letting you share files from any app directly to the AI assistant for analysis.

The powerful AI is integrated everywhere, and it is even the default voice assistant on many of the latest Android phones. But so far, it has lacked th