Google just made its AI only one tap away on Android
An AI Mode shortcut is rolling out for most Android users.
Google Search has been going through a serious transformation lately, and surprise, surprise – it's all about AI. Google has been busy baking AI features into everything, from how results show up to how we interact with them. And now, there is a new update that brings AI even closer to your fingertips.
After testing different looks to figure out where to place "AI Mode," Google has now rolled out a homescreen widget shortcut that works on pretty much any Android device. With this, you can instantly jump into AI Mode straight from your home screen – no extra steps needed.
When you tap it, you get the fullscreen AI prompt screen, just like a normal search but smarter (in theory). This shortcut first showed up back in April for some beta users, then disappeared, then came back… and now it finally looks like it's here to stay.
Setting it up is pretty simple. Just long-press the widget on your homescreen, tap "Customize," and head into the Shortcuts section. "AI Mode" is now right there, second on the list. If you're not using a Pixel phone, this widget might be the quickest way to access AI Mode.
But there's a catch: if you're not part of the "AI Mode" Search Lab, things still look like before. You'll see the shortcut as a pill under the Search bar, not part of it – and you'll miss out on the sleeker UI that's rolling out to users in the new Discover feed design, complete with Search Live access.
There's actually a lot going on with Search lately. Google now lets you dig deeper using AI Overview with a set of three handy follow-up buttons. It can even make phone calls to businesses on your behalf and handle deep research tasks. The new "Search Live" feature is rolling out too, letting you speak casually and get real-time answers. And AI Mode is also expanding to Circle to Search, bringing gaming support and upgraded visuals.
Basically, Google's AI is everywhere in Search now – and it's not slowing down. On top of that, the company is also testing a new way to organize results into categories, which could seriously change how we find things online.
But while all this sounds great for saving time, I believe there's a flip side. With AI constantly trying to predict what we want, there's a risk we might stop exploring, stop learning new things, and miss out on results we didn't know we needed.
It's a shiny new era for Search – but whether it makes us smarter or just more efficient… well, that part's still up in the air.
When you tap it, you get the fullscreen AI prompt screen, just like a normal search but smarter (in theory). This shortcut first showed up back in April for some beta users, then disappeared, then came back… and now it finally looks like it's here to stay.
It's showing up for both beta and stable users running Google app version 16.28 on Android, as a new circular icon next to the voice mic and Google Lens in the updated Search widget.
You can choose to bring AI Mode front and center. | Image credit – 9to5Google
But there's a catch: if you're not part of the "AI Mode" Search Lab, things still look like before. You'll see the shortcut as a pill under the Search bar, not part of it – and you'll miss out on the sleeker UI that's rolling out to users in the new Discover feed design, complete with Search Live access.
Old vs new look. | Image credit – 9to5Google
Basically, Google's AI is everywhere in Search now – and it's not slowing down. On top of that, the company is also testing a new way to organize results into categories, which could seriously change how we find things online.
But while all this sounds great for saving time, I believe there's a flip side. With AI constantly trying to predict what we want, there's a risk we might stop exploring, stop learning new things, and miss out on results we didn't know we needed.
It's a shiny new era for Search – but whether it makes us smarter or just more efficient… well, that part's still up in the air.
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