On the I/O 2026 stage, Google introduced two features that should be read together: Gemini Spark and Android Halo. The first is the new "24/7" AI agent positioned as a proactive assistant: instead of waiting for a command, Spark anticipates actions — managing email, documents, calendar, and (from summer) connecting to third-party apps via MCP. The second is the visual answer to the problem agents pose: how do you know what an agent working in the background is doing for you?
The glowing circle in the upper-left corner
Android Halo is — literally — a halo. A glowing circle that morphs into the Gemini sparkle, positioned in the upper-left corner of Pixel devices' status bar. It's a "subtle communication" (Google's own term) that tells you at all times whether an agent is working and when it has sent you a message. According to Android Authority, the stated goal is to prevent agents from feeling sneaky: whoever activated them must be able to see what they're doing without constantly reopening the app.
Availability: Ultra first, then everyone
Gemini Spark will be available next week to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the US. Android Halo will arrive later in the year, supported by Spark and other integrated agents.
Why it matters
Halo is the first explicit admission, by a major manufacturer, that the "agent that works for you" model has a trust problem to solve through interface design, not just promises. It's the kind of choice that — if it works — will become a de facto standard for how mobile OSes surface AI assistant activity.