The Google Search Widget Now Lets You Jump Straight Into AI Mode Queries

The Search widget delivers to your home screen instant access to Google’s vast knowledge base. In regions where AI Overviews are available, that includes what Gemini considers the most relevant, natural language response to your search terms. In its quest to make AI searching more useful, Google has been expanding the experience with AI Mode.

Part of the experimental Search Labs suite, AI Mode adds extended Gemini responses, complete with plenty of context and ongoing interaction that help you get the most from the LLM-wrapped AI model. Google’s latest update lets you select AI Mode as your Search shortcut and access it directly via the widget, so you can dive straight into the most in-depth analysis Gemini has to offer (Source: 9to5Google).

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Currently, you need to manually access AI Mode either through the Google app or after performing a search. With the update that’s now in testing, the Search widget offers a persistent toggle that sends you straight to Gemini’s most thorough answer. It isn’t some kind of massive overhaul. But if you’re already using AI Mode, it eliminates one annoying step.

Source: 9to5Google

Google also surely hopes the change will encourage users to take advantage of the tool more often. After all, testing new features is the main point of Search Labs. Even iOS has gotten a decent amount of Gemini love, although its version of the Gemini app doesn’t yet fully integrate AI Mode conversations.

The original AI Mode app interface, its recently updated layout, and the AI Mode desktop web interface, courtesy of Abner Li at 9to5Google.

Google is also working on layout redesigns to streamline AI Mode interaction while maintaining its clean look and differentiating it from everyday Search. The History and New Message buttons could move to the top-right corner next to the account icon, and the web layout appears to be cooking up a navigation bar to line the left-hand side of the screen.

The new AI Mode widget shortcut brings the total of shortcut options to 11, along with useful alternatives like Song Search, Weather, and Translate for either text or image. The latest shortcut is still undergoing a phased rollout, but if you have AI Mode enabled already, your optional shortcut will automatically switch to it once the change goes live. Don’t worry, though, if you’re not a fan of extended, LLM-powered search conversations; you can always switch back.

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