We all know the frustration of trying to describe a visual concept with keywords. You might be hunting for “maximalist bedroom design with dark tones,” only to get a dozen unrelated results. Google is attempting to solve this with a significant update to AI Mode in Search , fundamentally changing how you ask questions and how the service responds.
The core idea is to shift search away from rigid keywords. You should be able to get a more natural, conversational experience instead. Now, when you enter a vague or descriptive query, the response is no longer just a list of text links. Instead, AI Mode delivers a spread of visual results, allowing you to explore ideas and inspiration directly.
Google Search upgraded AI Mode lets you search by “vibes,” not just keywords
This new experience is designed to turn ambiguous ideas into concrete visuals. If you need design inspiration, you can start with a general query and then refine it using continuous, natural language follow-ups. See a style you like? You can immediately tell Google Search ‘s AI Mode, “Show me more options with dark tones and bold prints,” and the results will instantly adjust.
Even more powerfully, the process is now truly multimodal. You don’t have to start with text at all. You can initiate a search by uploading a photo or snapping a picture with your camera. AI Mode then takes that image and your spoken or typed question and delivers relevant visual answers from across the web.
Conversational shopping
This conversational ability also transforms online shopping. Forget tedious filter menus for style, size, and rise. You can now describe an item as you would to a friend. For instance, try searching for “barrel jeans that aren’t too baggy,” and AI Mode intelligently filters results to show you shoppable options that match that description. If you like a pair but want a different length, you simply follow up with, “I want more ankle length.”
These shopping results are backed by Google’s vast Shopping Graph. This is a dynamic inventory of over 50 billion products that constantly refreshes. So, the products you see are current, available, and link directly to reputable retailers.
Driving this visual breakthrough is a new technical process called “visual search fan-out.” The latter combines the power of Google’s visual understanding tools with the advanced capabilities of the Gemini 2.5 model. This combination allows the AI to deeply analyze an image, recognizing subtle details beyond just the main subject, and running multiple background queries. The end result will be a full understanding of the visual and linguistic context of your search.
Available first in the U.S.
The new visual experience is rolling out in English in the U.S. this week. It promises a new, intuitive way to find exactly what you’re looking for, even when you don’t know the right words. Let’s hope that the rollout to more countries and languages will not take long.
