Google is turning its search box into a more conversational front door for the web, and it is doing it with Gemini 3.5 Flash as the default model worldwide. The company announced the change at I/O, alongside a broader push that lets people search with text, images, files, videos, and even Chrome tabs – a tidy sign that the old ”type a few words and hope” era is being retired.
The timing is not subtle. AI Mode now has over one billion monthly users, which gives Google a reason to make the search bar feel less like a box and more like a prompt engine. That is a smart move, because if users are already asking follow-up questions inside AI Overviews, the next step is obvious: make the main search field smarter and let the whole interaction start there.
What the new Google Search bar can do
Google says the upgraded search box expands to give people more room to describe what they want, while also helping them shape the question with AI-powered suggestions. That may sound like a small UI tweak, but it is really a shift in how search begins: less keyword guessing, more intent capture.
- Search with text, images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs
- Use the new search box in countries and languages where AI Mode is available
- Move from AI Overviews into a back-and-forth AI Mode flow without switching tools
AI Mode, agents and personal intelligence
The rollout goes well beyond the search bar. Search agents will arrive this summer for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, running in the background to monitor what users need and keep them updated. Google is also expanding agentic booking in the US this summer for local experiences and services, including the ability to call businesses on a user’s behalf for select categories such as home repair and beauty.
There is a bigger pattern here: Google is trying to stitch together search, personal data, and action, while competitors are still largely fighting over who can answer questions best. Personal Intelligence in AI Mode is expanding to about 200 countries and territories in 98 languages, and it does not require a subscription. Users can connect Gmail and Google Photos, which gives Google a pretty persuasive advantage over plain chatbot rivals that know a lot less about your life.
What changes for users next
The practical result is simple: search becomes less about finding links and more about handing off tasks. That may sound convenient until you remember that the more Google knows about your intent, the harder it becomes for anyone else to compete on relevance alone. Expect the search box to keep getting more opinionated, more proactive, and, for better or worse, a lot harder to ignore.