AI Mode

Google's conversational search experience, now powering Google Search by default (rolled out fully on July 10, 2026, launching on the Gemini 3.5 Flash model). Google has kept swapping in newer Flash models underneath it every few weeks since - Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite in late July and Gemini 3.7 Flash as a selectable option for paid plans in August - so the exact model matters less than the pattern: AI Mode changes quietly and often. Unlike a classic search, it can break one query into several sub-questions behind the scenes (see Query fan-out) and pull an answer together from many pages at once.