Gemini on-device task automation: slow, clunky, but surprisingly impressive

The Verge tester Allison Johnson tries Gemini’s new on-device task automation on the Pixel 10 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Limited to a small beta set of food-delivery and rideshare apps, it runs in the background and can execute real tasks (like ordering dinner or reserving a ride) but is slow, occasionally trips over app quirks, and requires user confirmation. Still, it’s the first time an AI assistant actually operates on a phone in a practical way, offering a promising but imperfect glimpse of a future where apps are driven by AI rather than purely human-centric interfaces.