Google’s testing a conversational search feature that updates results in real time
What you need to know
- Google is working on a conversational version of Google Search that will refresh results in real time as you speak.
- The unreleased update was shared by Android tinkerer AssembleDebug on X (formerly Twitter), and brings Google Search functionality closer to Gemini Live.
- This new way of searching could feel more natural to modern users familiar with voice assistants and chatbots, and might be best suited for mobile.
Google is increasingly testing ways to shift its strategy with Google Search, the company’s main moneymaker, to match consumer trends. Thanks to the emergence of voice assistants and AI chatbots, people don’t have to turn to Google Search as often as they may have in the past. This could have a negative effect on two of Google’s primary businesses: Search and Ads.
According to avid Android tinkerer AssembleDebug on X (formerly Twitter), Google is testing a voice search mode that will refresh results in real time. As you continue to talk with the Google app, the results page will adjust based on your conversation. The functionality appears to be similar to Gemini Live and Meta AI, but specifically for web results.
The demo of new conversational search in Google app. It continuosly listens to your voice where you can ask followup questions while performing a search.#Android #Google pic.twitter.com/DgXnMx5DU4November 4, 2024
You can already use your voice to search Google; however, it is limited to individual queries. Tapping the microphone icon in the Google app calls up a voice-to-text visualizer, just like the one showcased in the AssembleDebug tweet. But after you finish speaking, Google will fetch your search results and the conversation ends there.
You can use the voice search option again, of course, but the experience isn’t continuous. Meanwhile, Google’s own Gemini Live experience and Meta’s conversational mode on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses provide a more streamlined way of communicating.
The sample screen recording provided by AssembleDebug showcases how the experimental conversational mode allows users to ask follow-up questions using their voice. For example, someone could ask for the names of members of a band and subsequently ask when the band was formed, all without needing to start the search from scratch.
This feature isn’t publicly available yet, and we don’t have a timeline for when (or if) conversational search in the Google app will release publicly. Considering that Google already offers conversational speech support with Gemini and its smart devices, matching that functionality in Search would be a natural next step.
