March 31, 2026, 8:11 am | Read time: 2 minutes
With Search Live, Google expands its AI search with a new feature. In addition to text input and voice search, users can now use the camera to ask questions. Users no longer need to describe a problem; they can directly show an object. The AI recognizes the content of the image and provides appropriate answers. This adds a visual component to Google’s existing search options.
How Search Live Works in Practice
The use of Search Live is structured as an ongoing dialogue. Questions can be asked via text, voice, or camera. Answers are provided in real time, and follow-up questions are possible. The context remains intact, allowing topics to be explored step by step. The camera plays a particularly important role. Users can show a piece of furniture, a technical device, or an unknown object and directly ask how something works or what to do. The AI analyzes the image and provides a clear answer. This is based on Google’s brand-new model, “Gemini 3.1 Flash Live,” specifically developed for this form of real-time interaction.
Search Live is integrated into the AI mode of Google Search and is available through the Google app on Android and iOS. Access is via the Live icon under the search bar. Google recommends speaking questions clearly so the AI can process them correctly. Those already using Google Lens will find the feature additionally at the bottom of the screen under “Live.” The use combines various inputs: users can ask a question, show something, and then continue to inquire. This creates a continuous dialogue that adapts to the respective situation.
Also of interest: Google Significantly Restricts Popular Android Feature
The Role of Search Live in Everyday Life
Search Live is linked with other Google services, while traditional search results remain visible in the background. Users thus retain access to sources. In everyday life, the feature can help in various situations, such as assembling a product, identifying an object, or answering spontaneous questions on the go. The camera becomes the direct interface for the search, significantly changing the use of Google Search.
Instead of a simple list of results, an interactive system emerges that processes and responds to visual content. The feature is available to users with AI mode enabled and is intended to work worldwide in all languages.