Google Unveils Search Live: Real-Time Voice Conversations and AI-Powered Search Experience on Mobile
Google Live is a brand-new feature that aims to improve how consumers engage with its Search app for iOS and Android smartphones. This latest addition, currently available exclusively in the United States, enables real-time, voice-based conversations within the app, offering a hands-free, back-and-forth chat experience powered by artificial intelligence. The feature is accessible to users who have opted into Google’s AI Mode experiment through Labs.
Search Live allows individuals to speak naturally to Google Search, asking questions aloud and receiving AI-generated spoken responses. This tool proves especially convenient for multitasking or for those on the move, such as while packing for a trip or performing household chores. For example, a user might inquire about ways to prevent a linen dress from wrinkling in a suitcase, and the AI would respond audibly with helpful tips. Follow-up questions, like how to handle wrinkles that still occur, can be posed just as naturally. Additionally, the app displays relevant web links on the screen, enabling users to explore further details if desired.
A notable feature of Search Live is its ability to function in the background, allowing users to maintain their conversation with Google even while navigating other apps. A transcript button offers the option to read text versions of the AI’s responses and type additional queries. Users can also revisit previous conversations by accessing their AI Mode history within the app, providing continuity to their interactions.
The technology behind Search Live is powered by a customized version of Google’s Gemini AI model, integrated with the company’s existing search infrastructure to maintain the reliability and quality users expect. It employs a query fan-out technique that broadens the scope of information sources, presenting a diverse range of web content to enhance discovery.
Users must sign up for Google Labs’ AI Mode experiment in order to test Search Live. Once activated, a “Live” icon appears beneath the search bar in the app interface, marking the feature’s availability. Google has encouraged early testers to provide feedback as it plans to refine the feature further. In the coming months, the company intends to expand Search Live’s capabilities, including the integration of a visual search function using the phone’s camera for even richer, real-time interactions.
