Google Images may not be making headlines on the regular, but the tool has a storied history that's spanned decades. To mark its 25-year anniversary, I met with Google Lens co-founder Lou Wang to discuss the evolution of visual search at Google and two new features rolling out now.
In July 2001, Google launched its images search tool after Jennifer Lopez broke the internet for the first time with her iconic green Versace dress at the 2000 Grammy Awards. Over the next decade, it evolved from text queries for images to reverse-image searches using uploaded images or URLs.
In 2017, Google took the next jump in visual search with the launch of Google Lens. Lens was initially integrated with Google Photos and Google Assistant, then moved to the main search box. With the introduction of Multisearch -- combining text and image inputs -- and Circle to Search -- enabling context-aware search of an image without switching apps -- Google gave people a new way to search: with their camera rather than with text alone.
During the AI boom over the last two years, AI Mode integrations, Search Live capabilities, visual reasoning powered by Gemini models, "Find the Look" fashion outfit matching and multi-image search inputs have made searching with imagery more natural and intuitive than ever.
Read also: The 6 Google AI and Lens Tricks I Rely on for Smooth, Hassle-Free Travel
New ways to explore and create images in Google
In addition to the visual search timeline, Wang said that Google is introducing two new features in Google Images and Search.
A browsable home for Google Images
Wang said Google is rolling out a browsable homepage for Google Images, featuring a dynamic, real-time image gallery tailored to user interests with tabbed collections to keep track of saved ideas.
Similar to creating a board on Pinterest or creating a collection on TikTok, you can save thematically similar visuals to one location for easy access. Say you're researching for a trip to Malaysia, for instance. You can create a collection titled "Malaysia" that will show up as a tab above the main gallery, where you can save all of your ideas or trip inspiration in one place.
This feature will be available over the coming weeks on desktop in the US in English.
You can save ideas and images into organized collections.
GoogleGenerate images in AI Overviews
Google is also bringing direct image generation into AI Overviews in Search, according to Wang. Using text prompts powered by the latest Nano Banana model, you'll be able to generate high-quality, custom visuals to bring your idea to life.
Suppose you want to paint a room in your home, for instance, but can't decide if a lighter or darker color would look better. You could use this tool in AI Overviews and type something along the lines of, "create a visual that compares a master bedroom with yellow-gold walls versus sage green walls." The AI overview will then generate a custom image to help with your decision-making.
This new feature will arrive over the coming weeks in regions that currently support image creation in AI Mode. It'll be available in English.
Wang said customer demand continuously pushes technology past its initial limits, pushing Google to focus on creating natural, intuitive ways to answer complex questions through any combination of voice, text and visuals.
"Especially with these AI models, we have an ability to do way more to get towards more of this natural and intuitive expression of a question," he said. "I think that's where we're more and more anchored: How do you let people express these questions really intuitively and then obviously answer them to the best that we can?"
English (US) ·