Google’s latest Chrome tweak shows it’s serious about replacing traditional search
A new AI Mode shortcut is rolling out across Android and iOS.
Google Search is changing fast, and as you might’ve guessed, AI is driving that change. The company just announced that it’s now making it easier to access AI Mode on mobile.
Users can now jump straight into AI Mode – the feature that lets you ask complex questions and follow-ups directly within Search – using a new shortcut button right under the search bar when opening a New Tab page in Chrome on both iOS and Android.
The new shortcut is first rolling out in the US, with plans to expand soon to 160 more countries and support for multiple languages, including Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and others.
Plus, new “agentic” capabilities are also rolling out in AI Mode – you’ll now be able to get help booking event tickets or scheduling appointments. These features are available to Labs users in the US, with higher usage limits for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
By making AI Mode easier to access on mobile, Google is clearly hoping to keep users inside its own ecosystem instead of losing them to tools like ChatGPT.
AI Mode first launched back in March as Google’s answer to Perplexity AI and ChatGPT Search. Since then, the company has been consistently upgrading it with new tools and functionality.
And now that OpenAI has rolled out its own browser, it’s no surprise Google is upping its game by pushing AI Mode directly into Chrome on mobile, too. The rivalry between the two has never been more obvious.
For many, AI Mode will definitely make finding information quicker and easier – and that’s the whole point. But personally, I find it a bit confusing. Maybe I’m just too used to the old-school way of searching: typing something in, clicking through links, and stumbling upon unexpected info along the way.
Still, that’s clearly the direction search is going, and we might as well start getting used to it.
AI Mode gets its own shortcut on Chrome
Users can now jump straight into AI Mode – the feature that lets you ask complex questions and follow-ups directly within Search – using a new shortcut button right under the search bar when opening a New Tab page in Chrome on both iOS and Android.
Video credit – Google
Plus, new “agentic” capabilities are also rolling out in AI Mode – you’ll now be able to get help booking event tickets or scheduling appointments. These features are available to Labs users in the US, with higher usage limits for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
A push that makes sense
By making AI Mode easier to access on mobile, Google is clearly hoping to keep users inside its own ecosystem instead of losing them to tools like ChatGPT.
And now that OpenAI has rolled out its own browser, it’s no surprise Google is upping its game by pushing AI Mode directly into Chrome on mobile, too. The rivalry between the two has never been more obvious.
Not everyone’s cup of tea
For many, AI Mode will definitely make finding information quicker and easier – and that’s the whole point. But personally, I find it a bit confusing. Maybe I’m just too used to the old-school way of searching: typing something in, clicking through links, and stumbling upon unexpected info along the way.
Still, that’s clearly the direction search is going, and we might as well start getting used to it.
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