Google quietly released a new app called COSMO to the Play Store on May 1st, but it was removed within hours. The listing described it as an “experimental AI assistant application for Android devices,” and given its timing a few weeks before Google I/O 2026, it looks a lot like a teaser that came out ahead of schedule.The app was filed with package name com.google.research.air.cosmowhich cites Google Research as a source of information, is published on the company’s main Play Store account, not in the Labs or Beta channels. 1.13 GB and comes bundled with a complete local Gemini Nano model. Three inference modes were available in the settings menu. An offline-only Nano mode, a server-side “PI” model (perhaps “Personal Intelligence”), or a hybrid that switches between the two based on connectivity.
A testbed filled with skills Google hasn’t launched yet
COSMO comes with 14 “skills” listed, but not all are enabled by default. The lineup included List Tracker, Calendar Event Suggester, and a browser agent powered by Google’s internal web automation tool Mariner. Deep Research mode promises multi-source reporting for complex queries, and a conversation summary feature automatically summarizes recently concluded interactions when you switch topics. As 9to5Google pointed out, the app also makes use of Android’s AccessibilityService API (a powerful hook) for screen access, but that functionality wasn’t fully functional in testing. It was also possible to set up Voice Match.
Google’s COSMO may be announced at I/O later this month
The Play Store listing had all the hallmarks of an accidental drop. Screenshots were squashed to the wrong aspect ratio, and availability was spotty even on Pixel hardware. 9to5Google first spotted the app before it disappeared. What remains unclear is how COSMO will fit in with existing Gemini apps: whether it will be a standalone product, a feature incubator, or a fully integrated product. Google I/O 2026, starting May 19th, could be your answer.
