Google is testing a major redesign for voice search on Android that brings together traditional voice queries, AI Mode, Search Live and Song Search into a single interface.
The update is currently limited to beta versions of the Google app. However, it hints at how Google wants AI to become a more central part of everyday Search.
Previously, tapping the colourful microphone icon in the Google Search widget or inside the Google app simply opened voice transcription for a standard Google Search, with a separate shortcut available for Song Search.
The new design replaces that simpler interface with a toolbar at the bottom of the screen, which should make it easier to switch between Search, AI Mode, Search Live, and Song Search without leaving the voice search experience. The layout closely mirrors the interface Google recently introduced for Google Lens, which also uses a bottom switcher for different search modes.
The standard Search option has also received a visual refresh. Instead of the familiar microphone animation, users are greeted by a new four-bar waveform that responds while they speak. As voice input is transcribed in real time at the top of the screen, users can either tap the arrow to submit an AI Mode query. Alternatively, they can hit the stop button to open a traditional search box where the transcript can be edited before searching.
Search Live remains focused on conversational interactions, allowing users to ask follow-up questions in a back-and-forth exchange. Meanwhile, Song Search continues to work as before for identifying music playing nearby.
One small but useful tweak is that Google remembers the last mode you used. Rather than always defaulting to standard Search, the app will reopen in either Search or AI Mode, depending on your previous session. This should make it quicker to access your preferred way of searching.
The redesign suggests Google is moving towards a more unified search experience, placing AI-powered tools alongside conventional voice search instead of treating them as separate features.
For now, however, the interface isn’t widely available. The redesign has only been spotted in the Google app beta on Android. There is no indication yet of when, or if, it will roll out to all users.
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