It appears that Google is rolling out a new AI Mode button on the homepage, positioned to the right of the search bar. This feature has been in testing for the past couple of months, but it now seems to be appearing more widely for users — myself included.
What it looks like
Here’s a screenshot of the new AI Mode button. I was able to replicate this across several browsers and devices — both signed in and out — including Chrome on Mac and PC, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.
The button features an animated ring that encircles it — here’s a GIF showing that animation in action.
What it looked like before
Below is a screenshot of the same homepage without the AI Mode button, which I observed when signed out on Safari.
What is AI Mode?
AI Mode is a new tab within Google Search that presents a more AI-driven interface. According to Google, it is “particularly helpful for queries where further exploration, reasoning, or comparisons are needed.” This feature allows users to explore topics more deeply, providing detailed, AI-generated answers without requiring them to perform their own comparisons or analysis.
We’d previously seen rumours of this feature, and now it’s finally being introduced — though access may still be limited to some users.
Google explained that AI Mode uses a “query fan-out” approach, which simultaneously issues multiple related searches across subtopics and data sources, then combines the results into a comprehensive response. The aim is to deliver broader and deeper information than a traditional Google search.
AI Mode supports text, voice, and image search via its multimodal functionality. It also includes conversational follow-up prompts, similar to what users have seen with AI Overviews and Gemini.
Google has already fully rolled out access to AI Mode in the United States, and more recently, in India.
Tracking AI Mode
Despite AI Mode data being logged in Google Search Console, you won’t be able to track it separately from standard search queries. Google currently aggregates AI Mode activity with general search data, even though it’s technically accessed via a separate tab.
Now that AI Mode is available outside of Search Labs in markets like India, the data does appear in Search Console — but it becomes more difficult to interpret due to the lack of segmentation.
Why it matters
Google is now placing AI Mode directly on its most high-profile digital space — the Google homepage. This strongly indicates that Google sees AI Mode as a key part of the future of search.
As a publisher or site owner, tracking its impact will be challenging, but it’s something you’ll want to monitor closely. The introduction of AI Mode could significantly influence how users search — and how they discover your content.