Google has started rolling out its new 'Search Live in AI Mode' for the Google app on Android and iOS, offering users the ability to have seamless voice-based conversations with Search.
Currently available only in the US for those signed up to the AI Mode experiment in Labs, the feature was previewed at last month's Google I/O conference.
The tool uses a specially adapted version of Google's Gemini AI model, fine-tuned to deliver smarter voice interactions. It combines the model's capabilities with Google Search's information infrastructure to provide real-time spoken responses.
Using a technique called 'query fan-out', the system retrieves a wide range of web content, helping users discover more varied and relevant information.
The new mode is particularly useful when multitasking or on the go. Users can tap a 'Live' icon in the Google app and ask spoken queries like how to keep clothes from wrinkling in a suitcase.
Follow-up questions are handled just as naturally, and related links are displayed on-screen, letting users read more without breaking their flow.
To use the feature, users can tap a sparkle-shaped waveform icon under the Search bar or next to the search field. Once activated, a full-screen interface appears with voice control options and a scrolling list of relevant links.
Even with the phone locked or other apps open, the feature keeps running. A mute button, transcript view, and voice style settings-named Cassini, Cosmo, Neso, and Terra-offer additional control over the experience.
