Google AI Search Now Includes Visual and Photo Results
Google is transforming its search experience by integrating powerful visual capabilities into its AI-powered tool, AI Mode. What was once a text-only feature is now being updated to include images and photos directly in its responses, creating a more dynamic and intuitive way to find information.
From Text to Visuals: A New Search Experience
When AI Mode first launched in the United States in May, it specialized in answering questions with natural language text. Now, Google is taking the next logical step by adding a visual dimension. In a recent announcement, the company detailed how users seeking inspiration or shopping assistance will receive photos and generated images alongside written answers, making the results far more engaging.
How Visual AI Search Works
Imagine searching for an abstract concept like “maximalist bedroom design.” Previously, AI Mode would have provided a text description. With this update, it will now display a curated selection of visuals that match the style. Users can then interact with the results, asking the AI to refine the search with prompts like “show me darker tones” or “add bolder prints.”
This interactivity goes both ways. You can now initiate a search by uploading a photo from your device, combining it with a text prompt to get results that are incredibly close to what you envision. According to Google, every image shown in the results will link back to its original source.
The Technology Powering the Update
This leap forward is powered by the integration of several core Google technologies, including Gemini 2.5, Search, Lens, and Image Search. This powerful combination allows AI Mode to analyze the fine details within an image, not just its main subject, and run multiple background searches to deliver highly relevant results.
Robby Stein, vice president of product management at Google Search, explained the motivation behind the update in an interview with CNBC. “Sometimes what you’re looking for really just can’t be articulated with text,” Stein noted. “If you ask about shopping for shoes, it’ll describe shoes when really people want visual inspiration.”
On mobile, the experience becomes even more granular. A user can tap on a single image within the results and ask follow-up questions about specific elements in the photo. Stein described this capability as “a breakthrough in what’s possible.”
Availability and Rollout
The new visual results in AI Mode have already started rolling out to users in the United States in English. Google expects the update to become available for everyone in the region over the coming days, heralding a new, more visual era for AI-assisted search.
