Google AI Mode Adds Multimodal Search To Mobile App

In early March 2025, Google introduced a new feature called “AI Mode” within its mobile search app—Today (April 7th), the company announced a significant update to this feature, enabling multimodal search capabilities in the Google app for Android and iOS devices.

With the new update, users can now conduct searches by combining visual and textual inputs. This means a person can take a photo and ask a related question in the same search session. The results will not only provide answers but also include contextual information, relevant web links, and even comparisons between similar products when applicable. This aims to make the search process more dynamic, intuitive, and helpful for real-world scenarios.

To power this functionality, Google has implemented a technique known as “query distribution.” This method analyzes the image as a whole while also identifying and separating individual objects within the picture. By doing so, it can generate a series of focused queries that offer deeper and more specific results. For example, if a user takes a photo of a bookshelf, the tool can recognize the books shown and then recommend other titles based on the user’s apparent interests.

This enhancement is the result of combining two powerful technologies from Google’s ecosystem: the Gemini multimodal AI model and Google Lens. Together, they form the backbone of the improved AI Mode in Search, allowing users to interact with the app in a more natural and versatile way. In the example provided by Google, AI Mode was able to identify book covers in an image and suggest similar books to the user — demonstrating how the tool can offer not just factual answers but also personalized suggestions.

The updated AI Mode is gradually being made available in the Google app for both Android and iOS users. Interested users can access it by downloading or updating the app through the official app stores.

This development represents a broader move by Google to enhance its search tools with artificial intelligence, making information retrieval more seamless and context-aware. By enabling people to combine images and questions in a single query, Google is reshaping how users interact with information in everyday situations.

Filed in Cellphones. Read more about AI (Artificial Intelligence), Google and Google Apps.