Google is giving Search Live a much-needed glow-up

Unless you've been following Google products closely, the chances of you knowing about or frequently using Search Live are slim. This AI-powered experience is similar to Gemini Live in that it offers a conversational, natural-language experience that leverages both voice and video, although they serve slightly different purposes.

Google launched Search Live in the US back in September last year, expanded it to additional regions, and made it globally available this March. The company is now prepping a design makeover for Search Live, the first since its launch in September.

A report from the folks at 9to5Google has uncovered this redesign of the interface in version 17.20 of the Google app. However, I'm not seeing this revamp on my Pixel device, even though it's running the same version of the app. This suggests there's a server-side element at play.

Among the changes in the updated Search Live interface is the removal of the arc waveform that moved downward while responding to your query. You can see what the current experience looks like above.

Making better use of the available screen space

The under-development redesign of the Search Live interface

As you can see above, the redesign removes the arc that has been around since Search Live's inception last year. As 9to5Google rightly notes, the colors running along the edges of the screen make the interface look similar to Circle to Search. While the "Try saying" home page features a light blue border around the edges, Search Live will switch to dynamic colors as it responds to your query.

In the second screenshot above, we see the bottom of the screen filled with variations of green and yellow, though it's unclear if there will be other colors in the mix. We presume a similar dynamic color arrangement will also appear when the video is turned on.

The arrangement of buttons remains unchanged with this redesign. The top-right of the page retains the three buttons for closed captions, a three-dot menu for accessing settings, search history, etc., and the exit button. Buttons like Mute/Unmute, Video, and Transcript remain prominently visible at the bottom of the page. The "Tap to interrupt" pill, along with the thumbs-up and thumbs-down keys, is also present here.

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One of the biggest improvements in this redesign is that Search Live will finally cover the entire screen, not just a portion of it. This will be especially useful while using video, as the current arch-shaped design eats up a fair chunk of the screen space at the bottom of the page.

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Pixel users can access Search Live by tapping the Lens icon in the home screen widget and swiping to the Live tab. You can also find it right under the search bar within the Google app. Accessing Search Live hasn't been particularly easy so far, but with the recent global expansion and this upcoming redesign, this functionality could gain more visibility in the future.