Google Unveils Search Live in AI Mode: A Revolutionary Search Experience

Google is enhancing its AI Mode with a new feature called Search Live, designed to transform how users search on the go. This feature is similar to Gemini Live, but it’s built directly into the Google app for both iOS and Android, currently available to users in the US who are part of the AI Mode experiment in Labs.

Search Live allows users to engage in a fluid, back-and-forth voice conversation with Google Search. Google promotes this as the ideal solution for multitaskers or those on the move. You can initiate a conversation by simply opening the Google app, tapping the new ‘Live’ icon, and asking your question. From there, you can ask follow-up questions seamlessly, with easy access to web content displayed right on your screen, as Google puts it.

What sets Search Live apart is its ability to work in the background, allowing users to continue their conversation even while using other apps. A transcript option switches the interaction into text mode, and with AI Mode history, you can pick up where you left off without missing a beat.

However, some users may wonder why this feature is necessary when Gemini Live already exists, offering a similar experience, especially on Android, where it is easier to access. Google states that Search Live uses a custom version of Gemini, optimized for voice capabilities. In the future, Google plans to let users incorporate their camera into the conversation, showing real-time visuals alongside the voice interaction, just like Gemini Live.

While the benefits of Search Live are clear, it leaves one big question: why separate these two AI-driven live search experiences? Only time will tell if they eventually merge into a single, seamless tool.