On June 19, 2025, Google launched Search Live, a voice-activated feature for its app on iOS and Android devices. This new addition provides users in the U.S. with a seamless, conversational way to search the web. The rollout of Google Search Live in 2025 is part of Google Labs’ AI Mode initiative, which enhances hands-free multitasking.
Search Live allows users to verbally input queries, ask follow-up questions, and receive spoken responses along with webpage links by tapping the Live icon. Its Transcript feature lets users switch between voice and text during a conversation. Additionally, the searchable AI Mode history lets users revisit previous queries. Designed for users on the go, it functions similarly to Google’s Gemini Live but operates on a customised Gemini AI model. Future updates are expected to include camera-based input.
Introducing Search Live with voice in AI Mode, which lets you have free-flowing conversations with Search on the go 🎙️
🗣️ Talk with and listen to Search hands-free
🔊 Get AI-generated audio responses
🔗 Learn more with links pic.twitter.com/4FAUCpAIPa
— Google (@Google) June 18, 2025The overlap between the voice-activated search feature and Gemini Live, which offers conversational AI and camera input, has caused some confusion. Google has clarified that Search Live enhances voice interactions for web searches. This comparison with Gemini Live raises concerns about potential redundancy in strategy.
Google tests real-time AI voice chats in Search https://t.co/fCv5Ncotqr
— The Verge (@verge) June 18, 2025Currently, Search Live is only available in the U.S., and there is no confirmed date for its international rollout, according to PCMag. This hands-free feature of the Google app is designed for multitaskers, as 70% of U.S. smartphone users appreciate voice search, according to Statista. Google’s trial of its AI Mode aims to enhance the user experience before expanding globally.
Read: Google Drive Introduces AI-Powered Gemini Chat for File Insights
The Google Search Live 2025 launch, with its voice-activated search and Google AI Mode, redefines mobile search convenience. Despite Gemini Live comparison debates, the hands-free Google app feature signals Google’s AI-driven future, drawing global attention to search innovation in 2025.
