Google has announced that it will be holding I/O 2021 virtually this year. The virtual event is set to take place from May 18-20.

Google has followed in the footsteps of Microsoft and Apple in holding its biggest developer event virtually this year. The company shelved its I/O 2020 event entirely due to the pandemic last year.

Google I/O 21 Will Be Free to Attend

Google usually charges developers a registration fee for attending physical I/O events. This year though, since the event will be held virtually, Google is making it free to attend for everyone.

Google I/O 2021 will feature Consumer and Developer keynotes, technical sessions, Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions, and more. Google will be posting the full schedule of I/O 2021 in late April.

Google will likely share more details about the new features in Android 12, talk about some of its new developer tools, and more at the event. It is also possible that the company will unveil the Pixel 5a and the budget-oriented Pixel Buds A at its virtual event this year.

Microsoft is also hosting its Build conference virtually later in May.

Register for Google I/O 2021

Google I/O 21 is free to attend virtually, but if you are a developer and wanted to attend other events like AMAs, live Q&As, Workshops, etc., you will need to register for the event. Workshops and AMA sessions specifically require prior registrations.

The consumer and developer keynotes can be viewed by anyone, even without registration. You can sign up for Google I/O 21 on the Google I/O event page.