Google expands search with multimodal

Google began rolling out a redesigned Search interface on May 20 that lets users submit longer, more conversational prompts and combine multiple kinds of input in a single query. The company said the new “intelligent Search box” can take text, images, files, videos and Chrome tabs, then reason across them to produce an answer with links to the web. (blog.google) Google announced the change as part of its I/O 2026 product updates and described it as the biggest upgrade to the Search box in more than 25 years. The rollout adds another layer to Google’s effort to fold generative AI into its core search product rather than replace classic results outright. (blog.google) Google said users will “continue to get a range of results from Search, just like you do today,” while also getting AI help to frame or refine what they want to ask. ### What exactly changed in the search box? Google said the new interface is designed for longer and more complex questions than the traditional single-line search field. In its I/O roundup, the company said the box now “auto-expands” into a larger canvas for detailed prompts and can ingest several types of material at once, including files and open Chrome tabs. (blog.google) The May 20 Search update also lets people mix inputs instead of choosing only one. Google said users can search with combinations such as multiple tabs, images or PDFs, and Search will use that context inside AI Mode. (blog.google) ### How does Google say AI helps before the answer appears? Google said the product now helps users articulate a query, not just respond after the query is submitted. The company framed the redesign as a way to make it easier for people to ask “more complex, longer and multimodal questions,” language it has also used in describing the broader expansion of AI features in Search. (blog.google) AI Overviews and AI Mode remain connected in the new setup. Google said users can ask a follow-up question directly from an AI Overview and continue the exchange in AI Mode, turning a one-off search into a back-and-forth conversation. (blog.google) ### Does this replace normal Google links? Google said no. The company’s product post said users will still receive standard Search results alongside AI-generated responses, preserving the familiar list of web links while adding synthesized answers on top. That positioning matches Google’s recent description of AI in Search more broadly. (blog.google) In a 2025 update on AI Mode, Google said people were using Search for harder and more multimodal questions, but emphasized that AI answers still come “with links to the web.” ### Where is the feature available now? (blog.google) Google said on May 20 that the intelligent Search box was “starting to roll out today” in all countries and languages where AI Mode is already available. The company did not describe it as a universal global launch for all Search users, tying availability to existing AI Mode markets instead. (blog.google) Google’s Search news page lists the I/O 2026 announcements, including “A new era for AI Search” and “How AI Mode is changing the way people search in the U.S.,” as part of the same product push. That suggests the company is packaging the search-box redesign with a broader expansion of AI Mode, though that is an inference from the grouping of official announcements rather than a separate launch statement. (blog.google) ### Why is Google emphasizing multimodal input now? Google tied the update to Gemini’s multimodal capabilities. Its I/O 2026 materials said Search is building on the “strong multimodal foundation” of Gemini and extending that into everyday search behavior. (blog.google) The next milestone is continued rollout through AI Mode markets. Google said users in supported countries and languages are beginning to receive the new Search box now, and the company’s I/O 2026 pages direct users to on-demand keynote and product sessions for further details on Search and Gemini updates. (blog.google 1) (blog.google 2) (blog.google 3)