Google launches AI voice chat in Search app for Android and iOS
Gemini-powered voice search in the Google app offers smart, conversational answers, which are ideal for multitasking users who need fast, accurate results without typing.
Google has started rolling out its new ‘Search Live in AI Mode’ for the Google app on Android and iOS, offering users the ability to have seamless voice-based conversations with Search.
Currently available only in the US for those signed up to the AI Mode experiment in Labs, the feature was previewed at last month’s Google I/O conference.
The tool uses a specially adapted version of Google’s Gemini AI model, fine-tuned to deliver smarter voice interactions. It combines the model’s capabilities with Google Search’s information infrastructure to provide real-time spoken responses.
Using a technique called ‘query fan-out’, the system retrieves a wide range of web content, helping users discover more varied and relevant information.
The new mode is particularly useful when multitasking or on the go. Users can tap a ‘Live’ icon in the Google app and ask spoken queries like how to keep clothes from wrinkling in a suitcase.
Follow-up questions are handled just as naturally, and related links are displayed on-screen, letting users read more without breaking their flow.
To use the feature, users can tap a sparkle-shaped waveform icon under the Search bar or next to the search field. Once activated, a full-screen interface appears with voice control options and a scrolling list of relevant links.
Even with the phone locked or other apps open, the feature keeps running. A mute button, transcript view, and voice style settings—named Cassini, Cosmo, Neso, and Terra—offer additional control over the experience.
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