Google Search Adds 'Plus' Menu Hinting at Deeper AI Integration

Back in the day, search engines like Yahoo, Lycos, and AltaVista ran the internet. However, their problem was that they tried to do everything and made their homepages cluttered and messy. Then Google came along with a simple and clean UI and a singular textbox that revolutionized everything. Now, it looks like Google is making some changes to its Search homepage with the addition of a new “plus” menu.

Google Search got a new plus menu

Folks at 9to5Google discovered a new plus menu on the Google Search homepage. As you can see in the screenshot, this new menu sits on the left of the search textbox. When users click on it, it gives them the option of uploading a file or an image. This new menu also replaces the magnifying glass.

While the menu’s features aren’t new, its placement is. Basically what this does is it gives users a faster option when it comes to uploading files or images to search. However, it doesn’t stop there. Based on what we can tell from the screenshot, it suggests that instead of just using it for search, it can be used with AI Mode and AI Overviews.

If anything, it sounds like Google could be slowly integrating AI Mode and AI Overviews into search, blurring the lines between its products and creating a unified platform. As it stands, AI Mode exists separate from search. Users need to launch it or click on it specifically to make use of it. This little UI tweak could indicate Google’s plan for a more unified experience.

At the moment, the feature appears to be only available on the web. The mobile app version of Google does not have it yet. However, we suppose it’s really only a matter of time before that changes.

Google’s further integration of AI

This latest change really does cement the possibility of Google folding its AI features into Search. More recently, Google revealed some changes to AI Mode which will now display more inline links when searching. This is similar to how other AI platforms like Perplexity search, where it shows users sources alongside the answers so that users can look up more information or verify it if they have to.

The arrival of AI has definitely changed the way we search for information. Now, instead of combing through websites manually, AI can pull that information for us and summarize it. This makes it faster and more efficient. However, many publishers have expressed concern that AI features like AI Overview are stealing traffic away from them. 

Perhaps Google’s approach could act as a balance while keeping users on its platform instead of being tempted away by ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude.

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