Google launches 'AI Mode' in Search in India: What is it and how to use

Google's AI Mode in Search, now rolling out to users in India, brings Gemini-powered multimodal responses and richer answers to complex, conversational queries

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Google has officially begun rolling out its AI-powered search experience, AI Mode in Search, to users in India. Previously offered as an experimental feature under Google Search Labs, AI Mode is now becoming available to everyone through the Google app—no additional sign-up required. Google said the broader rollout follows an “encouraging” response from users who participated in the Labs preview.

Google’s AI Mode in Search: Availability

Google stated that the AI Mode experience in Search is already being gradually rolled out to users in India. In the coming days, users will begin to see a new “AI Mode” tab appear in Search results as well as within the search bar of the Google app. All features previously available in the Labs version will be included in the stable rollout. However, for now, the AI Mode experience is limited to English. 

What is Google’s AI Mode in Search?

Powered by Google’s Gemini 2.5 multimodal AI model, AI Mode allows users to interact with Search in more natural and visual ways. Users can speak a query, upload an image, or snap a photo using Google Lens and then ask questions based on what they see. Example use cases include identifying a plant and asking for care instructions or uploading a photo of a broken household item and asking how to fix it.

 

AI Mode also integrates real-time local information, shopping results, and data from Google’s Knowledge Graph to deliver more relevant and helpful responses. The feature is available on the Google app for both Android and iOS.

Google’s AI Mode in Search: How to use

According to Google, AI Mode is specifically designed to handle complex, multi-step queries that would typically require several separate searches. Whether users are comparing smartphones, planning vacations, or tackling DIY projects, the AI Mode leverages Gemini’s multimodal understanding to provide detailed summaries, follow-up prompts, and additional reading links.

For instance, instead of running multiple searches like “indoor games for kids,” “cheap play activities,” or “how to keep kids active,” users can simply ask: “How can I keep my four and seven-year-old kids active indoors without spending much?” and receive a rich, context-aware answer with ideas, tips, and links—all in one go.

 

Behind the scenes, the AI Mode uses a method known as “query fan-out,” where a single complex query is broken down into smaller sub-queries. These sub-queries are then processed in parallel across the web to generate more detailed and comprehensive results—far beyond what typical keyword-based searches can offer.