Google is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Google Images by introducing two new visual search features. The company is rolling out a redesigned Google Images homepage for personalized image discovery and bringing AI-powered image generation to AI Overviews in Search. Google also highlighted major milestones that have shaped the evolution of visual search over the past 25 years.
Google Images gets redesigned homepage
Google Images is getting a new browseable homepage featuring a dynamic gallery of images from across the web that is updated in real time and tailored to users’ interests.
Saved collections will appear as tabs above the gallery, making it easier to revisit and continue exploring related content.
AI image generation comes to Search
Google is also bringing image generation to AI Overviews in Search. Powered by Google’s Nano Banana model, the feature lets users generate custom images from text prompts directly within AI Overviews in Search.
Google Images: 25 years of visual search
Google also shared key milestones in the evolution of its visual search technologies:
- 2001: Google Images launches.
- 2009: Similar Images enables visually related image searches.
- 2011: Search by Image lets users search by uploading an image or pasting its URL.
- 2018: Google Lens brings camera-based visual search to Search.
- 2022: Multisearch combines text and images in a single search.
- 2024: Circle to Search lets users search anything on their Android screen using gestures.
- 2025: Lens integrates with AI Mode for more detailed visual understanding, Search Live enables AI conversations using a live camera feed, and AI Mode introduces conversational visual results for visual discovery and shopping.
- 2026: Circle to Search adds multi-object recognition for identifying multiple objects in a single image using Google’s visual image fan-out technique, while the Intelligent Search Box lets users upload one or more images simultaneously and ask detailed questions using AI Mode.
Availability
The redesigned Google Images homepage will begin rolling out over the coming weeks for desktop users in the U.S. in English. Users will need to sign in with a Google Account to access the experience.
AI image generation in AI Overviews in Search will also begin rolling out over the coming weeks in English across regions where AI Mode image generation is already supported.