Home
Ai
Ai News
Google IO 2026: Google Showcases Universal Cart That Lets Users Shop in Search, YouTube and Gmail

Google IO 2026: Google Showcases Universal Cart That Lets Users Shop in Search, YouTube and Gmail

Google’s new Universal Cart will be rolled out to YouTube and Gmail this summer, the company said.

Written by Dhruv Raghav, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 20 May 2026 10:34 IST

Google IO 2026: Google Showcases Universal Cart That Lets Users Shop in Search, YouTube and Gmail

Photo Credit: Google

Universal Cart will improved overtime as Gemini improves

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

UCP-poweed checkout is being expanded to more markets
AP2 will enable agentic payments on Google products soon
Universal Cart is currently only available in Search

Google hosted its annual developer conference, the Google I/O 2026, on Tuesday. During the keynote, the Mountain View-based tech giant showcased various new features and functionalities that are either rolling out or will be integrated into different Google products later this year, including YouTube, Gmail, Search, and Workspace. However, one of the major highlights of the events was the tech giant's new Universal Cart tool that will provide contextual suggestions, find deals, and enable online payments across the company's product lineup. The new functionality starts working in the background when a user adds a particular product to their Universal Cart.

Universal Cart Will Be Capable of Providing Contextual Product Suggestions

During its annual developer conference, Google showcased its new Universal Cart functionality that will soon be integrated into various Google products. The company is currently rolling out Universal Cart to Search and the Gemini app in the US. However, the tech giant also plans to integrate it into YouTube and Gmail, which are scheduled to receive the update this summer.

Universal Cart will enable users to add goods to a single shopping cart while using Google Search, within the Gemini app, while watching a video on YouTube, or while reading emails in the Gmail app. When a user adds a product to Universal Cart, the shopping cart will start looking for the best deals and price cuts, while also providing insights to users on price history and sending alerts when the product in the cart is back in stock. All these processes happen in the background with the help of Gemini AI models.

Google IO 2026: Here’s Everything That Was Announced During the Event

The company claims that as Gemini improves, the same enhancements will be seen in the Universal Cart feature. Moreover, it is also capable of providing context-based product suggestions to users. For example, if a user is planning to custom-build a gaming PC, and the user has already added a few components in the Universal Cart, it will alert the user if any of the parts are found to be incompatible with the configuration, while also suggesting alternatives.

Universal Cart is also built using Google Wallet. Hence, the functionality will take the help of Gemini to let users know about different payment method benefits, loyalty information, and merchant discounts and offers, allowing them to get the best deals.

Apart from this, the company is also expanding the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)-powered checkout experience. Announced last year, Google will roll out the agentic commerce tool in Canada and Australia in the coming months, followed by the UK. On top of this, UCP will also be integrated into YouTube in the US and into hotel booking and local food delivery experiences.

On top of this, UCP will also enable the checkout process in Universal Cart across merchants like Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart, and Wayfair, along with Shopify merchants, including Fenty and Steve Madden.

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: Google IO 2026, Google, Google Universal Cart, Gemini, Agentic Commerce

Dhruv Raghav

Email Dhruv Raghav

Dhruv Raghav is currently working as a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets360. He has previously covered the North American financial markets as a Headline News Correspondent for a major news agency. After taking a sabbatical to prepare for the Civil Services examination, he returned to journalism to cover tech policy, with a special focus on AI laws and online gaming regulation. Now, he is back in Gadgets360 to write features and edit stories. To unwind, he likes to spend time with his PS5, listening ...More