Google is currently testing a new search bar design in Chrome Beta for Android that displays a shortcut to AI mode.
Google must fight increasingly hard to maintain its role as the dominant search engine. Companies like OpenAI and Perplexity are knocking on the door with new AI tools that put pressure on Google’s search function. The search giant is consequently riding the AI wave and has already introduced AI Overviews and AI mode in Google Chrome.
Android Authority has now discovered that Google is working on a new search bar design where its AI mode is more clearly visible. AI mode gets a prominent role in the search bar, forcing the voice search and Lens shortcut to make way.
AI Mode shortcut
Google’s search engine cannot escape AI. Google introduced “AI Overviews”, which provides a pre-digested answer based on several high-scoring sources. This quickly drew criticism from a group of publishers who argued that it affects their traffic. There is currently no option to escape Google’s AI search results, except through one trick.
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In addition to the AI overview, Google also offers AI mode, where users can go with their complex questions and experience a more interactive experience. That AI function gets a prominent place in the new search bar design, namely replacing the voice search and Lens shortcut that are moved down, noted by Android Authority in the Chrome Beta version for Android.
Android Authority suspects that it won’t be rolled out on a large scale immediately since it’s only visible on certain Google accounts.