Android Just Became an Intelligence System — And Most Developers Don’t Know What That Means for Their App!

Google's Android Show 2026 announced Android's shift from OS to 'intelligence system'. Key developer-facing changes include: AppFunctions API (MCP-style interface letting apps expose capabilities to Gemini agents), RemoteCompose-powered Jetpack Glance widgets with richer interactions, Jetpack Navigation 3 Scene Decorators for adaptive layouts, Compose 1.11 experimental Grid/Flexbox/MediaQuery/Style APIs, Android XR SDK support for wired glasses, and an expanded Car App Library. AppFunctions allow annotating app actions so Gemini can execute them on behalf of users. Widgets expand to Android Auto vehicles. Compose 1.11 layout primitives are experimental and seeking feedback before stabilization.