How to Use AI Mode in Google Search: A Practical 2026 Guide

To use AI Mode in Google Search, go to google.com/ai, or type a question on google.com and tap AI Mode. In the Google app, tap AI Mode on the home screen, ask your question by typing, speaking or adding a photo, then keep asking follow-ups in the same “Ask anything” bar.

That’s the short version. Below are the exact steps for each device, the ways to ask questions beyond plain text, how to manage your history, and what to do when the button doesn’t show up. Everything here reflects Google’s own help pages and announcements as of October 2026; Google changes this product often, so button labels and placement may shift.

What AI Mode actually is

AI Mode is Google Search’s conversational answer mode. Instead of a list of blue links, you get a written answer built from web results, with links to the sources, and you can keep refining it with follow-up questions that remember the earlier context.

It is no longer a fringe experiment. At I/O in May 2026, Google said AI Mode had passed one billion monthly users and made Gemini 3.5 Flash its default model for everyone globally. Google also said it was merging AI Overviews and AI Mode into one flow, so you can move from a quick AI Overview straight into a follow-up conversation.

How to open AI Mode

On a computer

1. Go to google.com/ai for a direct start, or
2. Go to google.com, type your question in the search bar and select AI Mode.
3. Type your question in the “Ask anything” bar and press Enter.
4. Ask follow-ups in the same bar at the bottom of the answer.

Google’s desktop help page also covers Chrome, which has its own AI Mode entry point from the browser.

On Android, iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Google app.
2. Tap AI Mode on the home screen.
3. Type, speak or add an image in the “Ask anything” bar.
4. Keep the conversation going in the same bar near the bottom of the screen.

You can also reach it from a regular search: if you see an AI Overview, Google’s help and blog material describe a Dive deeper option that carries the topic into AI Mode.

Quick reference

Ways to ask: text, voice, images and files

Plain typed questions work fine, but AI Mode is most useful when you lean on its other inputs. According to Google’s help pages for Android, iOS and desktop:

• Voice: Tap the microphone in the “Ask anything” bar and say your question. Tap it again for a spoken follow-up.
• Images: Tap Lens (or the menu) in the bar, then take or upload a photo and ask about it. On desktop you can also drag and drop or paste an image.
• Webpages: On desktop, paste a page’s URL into the bar and ask about it. In the Google app, open a webpage and tap Ask at the bottom.
• Files: You can upload files such as PDFs and ask questions about them. Google has described some of this file support as rolling out, so it may not appear for everyone yet.
• Live camera: In the Google app, open Lens, tap the Live icon and point your camera at something while asking aloud. Google saves these Search Live transcripts to your Search Services History.

Tips for getting better answers

AI Mode handles long, specific questions better than keyword-style searches. Google’s redesigned search box, introduced at I/O 2026, expands as you type to encourage exactly that.

• Put your constraints in the first question. “Quiet hotels near the Lisbon airport under a mid-range budget with a late check-in desk” beats “Lisbon hotels”.
• Refine rather than restart. Follow-ups keep the context of the conversation, so “only ones with free cancellation” works without repeating everything.
• Check the links. Google’s October 15, 2026 update added more inline links, a dedicated section for official websites, and news carousels. Use them to verify claims, especially for health, money or legal questions.
• Treat answers as a starting point. Google warns that AI responses may include mistakes.

Finding and deleting your AI Mode history

AI Mode saves your past conversations to your Google Account so you can pick them up later. Per Google’s Search Services History help page:

1. Open AI Mode.
2. On desktop, select AI Mode history on the left. On Android, tap AI Mode history at the top.
3. To remove one conversation, open its More menu and delete it. To clear everything, choose Delete all.

Two details worth knowing:

• Deleting a conversation from AI Mode history may not remove it from your regular Search history. Google says to delete it there too if you want it completely gone.
• Turning off Search Services History stops new items from being saved, but it doesn’t erase what’s already stored. Older items are removed according to your auto-delete setting, which you can change at any time.

Third-party guides place the history menu slightly differently on some app versions (for example, under your profile picture), so if you don’t see it where described, look there.

Troubleshooting: AI Mode isn’t showing up

If you can’t find AI Mode, work through these checks:

1. Sign in. Google’s Search Labs help notes AI Mode features expect you to be signed in to a Google Account.
2. Turn off Incognito. Private browsing can hide the option.
3. Try google.com/ai directly rather than looking for the button.
4. Check your account type. Work or school accounts can have Search features restricted by an admin, and supervised (Family Link) accounts may be restricted too.
5. Check your region and language. Google lists supported countries and languages on its help page. At I/O 2026 it said related AI Mode features were expanding to nearly 200 countries and territories across 98 languages. Some older third-party guides still say AI Mode is US-only; that is out of date.
6. Update the Google app on mobile, since new options roll out through app updates.

Some guides also mention opting in through Search Labs. That was required when AI Mode was an experiment; Labs now mainly hosts extra, still-experimental AI Mode features rather than the basic mode itself.

Free vs. paid features

Basic AI Mode is free with a Google Account. Google has, however, reserved some newer capabilities for paying subscribers first. At I/O 2026 it announced information agents that monitor topics in the background, launching first for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, with agentic booking also planned for paid tiers. Google gave a summer 2026 window rather than firm dates, so whether these are live on your account depends on rollout. Google also said Personal Intelligence, which lets AI Mode draw on connected apps such as Gmail and Google Photos with your permission, would expand with no subscription required.

Sources disagree on some details, such as the exact model version behind AI Mode at any given moment and the precise country list, so if a specific feature matters to you, check Google’s current help page before relying on it.