Google has officially rolled out a new way to access AI Mode in Search. You can now open it by visiting google.com/ai. When the feature was first announced back in March 2025, google.com/aimode was the shortcut assigned for both desktop and mobile web. Google later shortened the URL to make it easier to remember.

If AI Mode is supported in your country, you should now see an "AI Mode" button on the far-right side of the search bar.

The interface looks almost identical to the regular Search dashboard, but the overall feel is closer to popular chatbot apps like ChatGPT or Perplexity.

AI Mode is powered by Gemini 2.5's advanced reasoning, problem-solving, and multimodal capabilities to generate answers to virtually any question.

Here's a quick example with a search query about how large language models (LLMs) work.

Prompt: What are large language models and how do they actually work in simple terms for beginners?

The result appears front and center, instead of a long list of link previews as you'd see in a typical Google Search. Source references still appear on the right-hand side, making it easy to fact-check the response.

I also like that the result includes a simple analogy at the bottom of the answer. You can follow up by asking another question directly in the prompt field at the bottom of the page.

Here's an example where I found the AI Mode feature really helpful: I wanted to check what date and time "September 8th, 8:00 AM EST" would be in the Philippines.

When I asked this in the regular Search mode, it didn't give me a direct answer. I still had to click through some of the blue links just to find the information I needed.

This is the kind of situation where you wish there was a way to just get the correct answer right away since it's only a simple timezone conversion.

When I switched to AI Mode, here's what I got:

What is September 8th 8:00 am EST in philippines?

When it is 8:00 am EST on September 8th, it is 8:00 pm in the Philippines on the same day

Here is the breakdown of the conversion:

Eastern Time Zone: In September, the Eastern Time Zone observes Daylight Saving Time (EDT), which is UTC-4. The query specified "EST" (UTC-5), which is the standard time used during the winter.

Philippines Time: The Philippines operates on Philippine Standard Time (PST or PHT), which is UTC+8 year-round.

Time Difference: The Philippines is 12 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone during Daylight Saving Time (UTC+8 vs. UTC-4).

Therefore, to convert from 8:00 am EDT to Philippine time, you add 12 hours, resulting in 8:00 pm.

That final answer — "When it is 8:00 AM EST on September 8th, it is 8:00 PM in the Philippines on the same day" — was exactly what I needed.

According to Google, AI Mode uses a "query fan-out" technique, which breaks your question into smaller subtopics and searches each one simultaneously across multiple sources. In simpler terms, rather than finding results for just one query, the system creates several related queries and then merges the results together.

At the bottom of the response, you'll also see a disclaimer reminding users that AI answers may include mistakes. Google recommends several ways to double-check accuracy:

• Always check important info in more than one place. Click the links for AI sources and try other Google Search results too.
• Ask multiple versions of your question to get the best answers. Try asking for different opinions or ask for more details.
• Send feedback to Google if something doesn't look right.

Logan Kilpatrick, lead product manager for Google DeepMind, Gemini, and all AI products at Google, said Google AI Mode will be the default for Google Search "soon."

In terms of availability, Google AI Mode is now available in 180 countries, up from being available in the US, UK, and India.

AI Mode's Personalized Responses

You may not know this, but Google Search also lets you turn personalization on or off, depending on whether you want results tailored to your account activity.

To manage Search personalization, go to search personalization settings.

When you enable this feature, you'll get a personalized version of the following things:

• Discover stories
• Movie recommendations
• Auto-complete suggestions

AI Mode combines your past searches with your activity in Search and Maps to provide suggestions that better align with your tastes and preferences.

How is AI Mode Different from AI Overview?

I know, AI Overview and AI Mode can sound similar, but they serve different purposes in Google Search.

AI Overviews are short summaries that appear at the very top of a results page. They usually highlight a handful of sources and give you a quick answer in a compact format. Most of the time, the information is tucked behind a "show more" button, so the goal is speed and simplicity.

You don't need to click through multiple links if all you want is a brief explanation.

• Primary Function: Provides a quick, AI-generated summary at the top of the standard search results page for certain queries.
• Appearance: A distinct block of text appearing above the traditional "blue links."
• Interactivity: Limited to the information presented in the summary.

Learn more about the AI Overviews in Google Search here.

AI Mode, on the other hand, feels more like stepping into a full conversation with Google. Instead of a one-off summary, it gives you a dedicated interface where you can ask follow-up questions, refine your search, and explore a topic more deeply.

You can activate it through the "AI Mode" button or by typing in a complex query that triggers the feature. It's designed for users who want to go beyond quick answers and interact with search results in a more iterative way. To me, this feels close to the agentic Deep Research feature in the Gemini chatbot, only much quicker.

• Primary Function: Offers a dedicated, conversational, and in-depth AI-powered search experience.
• Appearance: A separate tab or interface within Google Search, often initiated by more complex queries.
• Interactivity: Highly interactive, allowing for follow-up questions and a more exploratory search journey.

To summarize the key distinction between the two, check out the table below:

Both features rely on Google's large language models, but their presentation is what sets them apart. AI Overview is about giving you a snapshot, while AI Mode opens up a space for exploration.

Final Thoughts

AI Mode is probably the 100th Google product powered by Gemini. The company has invested heavily in its AI models and is taking a big risk to push for wider adoption. With Google holding about 90% of the global search engine market, introducing a new way to search is a bold move.

My only concern is the chance of getting incorrect information, which is often called LLM hallucination. If you're doing technical research or writing reports, I wouldn't rely solely on AI Mode. It's better to use the regular search method and verify sources to make sure the information is accurate.

That said, AI tech is improving so quickly that I believe AI Mode will eventually replace traditional Search. From my short tests, it already feels more accurate than the answers given in AI Overviews. For now, I'll keep it as my default and see how my experience changes in the coming weeks.

Try it yourself and see how it works for you.

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