Non the Google homepage, a point of reference and almost a pop icon of digital life, something has changed. Instead of the magnifying glass placed on the white bar where anything is asked, a “+” sign appearsa minimal detail which however tells a lot about the direction in which the most used search engine in the world is moving. In fact, it is not a simple restyling, but it is an invitation to interact with Google in a different wayclearly closer to the habits born with artificial intelligence.
A new Google button: how it works
The «+» symbol is located on the left side of the search barin a position familiar to those who use messaging apps on a daily basis. By moving the cursor closer, two options appear, “Upload Image” and “Upload File”, which allow you to drag not only graphic content, but also a photo, a document, a PDF into Google to transform it into the starting point of a search.
What does Gemini have to do with it
Once the file is uploaded, Google doesn’t just show it in the search bar: at that point Gemini 3 enters the scenethe multimodal AI model that Google uses to interpret content of a different nature. It is he who “reads” what has been uploaded and proposes the first analysis options. The interface offers two distinct paths. On the one hand there is the possibility of asking for targeted information on what has been uploaded, on the other, you can choose a more open mode, asking free questions, as you would with a conversational assistant. In this second case, AI Mode allows you to activate a version of the search in which the results are not just links, but also more detailed answers.
The new icon in the search bar marks the transition from a text engine to an interface capable of reading and interpreting content of all types
A piece in Google’s transformation
Before introducing the “+”, these operations required more cumbersome steps: You had to navigate between separate menus, sections, and tools. Now everything happens in the same place, with a single gesture that makes the search more fluid and accessible even to those who are not familiar with the advanced functions. The new button doesn’t come out of nowhere. It is part of a path that is changing the very nature of Google: from a text search engine to a multimodal interface, capable of interpreting heterogeneous contents and returning answers constructed with the help of artificial intelligence. For now the feature is only available on desktop and in incognito windows. A choice that suggests the desire to make it accessible to anyone, even without logging in to your account.
New Google button, a look beyond the search bar
The arrival of the “+” marks a symbolic transition: we are moving towards a reduction of the distance between the user and artificial intelligence, integrating AI into the most everyday gestures of the web. That is, looking for something. Not an epochal change, but it is one of those that, over time, redefines habits. The search bar is no longer just a place to write: it becomes a container that leaves artificial intelligence all the freedom to build connections that previously required more time and more steps. A great convenience which, however, risks slipping into the background that part of spontaneous exploration that for years defined the way we got an idea of the world.