Google app gets ready for AI search with new shortcut options

The Google app might soon see a small change to its look, making way for a new AI-powered search feature. It seems Google is planning to swap out the shortcut buttons below the Search bar, adding one for a chat-like search option.

Right now, the Google app on Android and iOS shows four handy buttons under the Search bar. These let you search with a picture, translate words, solve homework, or find a song. But in the latest test version of the Google app (version 16.6.23), we’ve noticed a fresh set of shortcuts that could take their place.

From the screenshots we’ve seen, the new home screen has three bigger buttons under the Search bar. Two of them look like the Voice Search and Lens options already in the Search bar. The first button’s icon looks a bit like the one for Gemini Live, but we think it might open the new AI search mode instead.

This new icon has a couple of extra lines compared to the Gemini Live one, and we found some code calling it “Search Live.” That could be another name for the AI search mode we’ve heard about before, though it might end up with a different icon entirely.

Since the new design repeats the Voice Search and Lens buttons and the icons don’t fully match up, it feels like Google might tweak this setup more. We’ll keep watching for updates and share any new info as soon as we get it. For now, Google is gearing up to bring something fresh to how we search!