Google is turning Search into something closer to an assistant than a blank box. At I/O, the company said the Google Search field now expands so people can describe what they want more naturally, with AI suggestions helping shape the query before a search even starts. The upgrade rides on Gemini 3.5 Flash as the default model worldwide, and Google is pushing the new experience across desktop and mobile in every country and language where AI Mode is available.
That sounds small until you remember how much of the internet starts with a Google Search box. Google is essentially betting that users will accept a more conversational front door if it cuts friction, especially now that AI Overviews and AI Mode are being stitched together into one flow. The company says AI Mode already has more than one billion monthly users after one year, which explains why the old-school search bar is getting a very modern makeover.
What the new Google Search box can do
The redesigned box is built to handle more than typed keywords. Google says it can take text, images, files, videos, and even Chrome tabs as inputs, which is a neat way of saying the search bar is no longer pretending the web is only made of words. For users, that means fewer awkward queries and more room to start with whatever information they already have.
- Search with text, images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs
- AI suggestions help shape longer, more specific questions
- Rolling out in all countries and languages where AI Mode is available
AI Mode, agents, and more Google automation
Google is also widening the AI plumbing underneath Search. Personal Intelligence in AI Mode is expanding to more people in about 200 countries and territories in 98 languages, and it does not require a subscription. Users can connect Gmail and Google Photos, which makes the feature more personal and, depending on your appetite for convenience, a little more invasive.
For paid users, Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers are getting search agents this summer. These will run in the background and keep tabs on what matters most, while agentic booking is expanding in the US this summer to cover more local services and experiences, including select categories such as home repair and beauty. Google can also call businesses on your behalf, which is either a time-saver or the first step toward letting software handle your errands with unsettling enthusiasm.
Why Google is pushing Search this hard
This is Google doing what Google does best: absorbing the thing that threatened it and folding it into its core product. Rival AI chat tools made people comfortable asking longer, messier questions, and the search giant is now trying to own that behavior rather than lose it. The advantage is obvious: if Google can keep users inside Search while making the experience feel smarter, it protects the most valuable doorway on the web.
The open question is less about whether Google can build this and more about how much people will trust it with more of their intent, files, and accounts. Search is becoming less like a list of links and more like a guided conversation, and that is a much bigger shift than a fresh coat of UI paint.