Google Search adds plus button for instant AI Mode file uploads on desktop

Google Search Gets New Plus Button to Upload Images and Docs to Search With AI

Imad is a senior reporter covering Google and internet culture. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN, Tom's Guide and Wired, among others. A new plus button has appeared in Google Search, letting you upload images and documents for AI-powered analysis via Google AI Mode. Google has not published an official blog post about the button yet, and it is possible that the added function is experimental and available for a handful of users. Uploading an image or document allows you to use Google AI Mode, where Gemini breaks down the content, allowing queries to be asked about it. For example, if you upload instructions for a model kit, you can ask where to buy certain parts online. If you upload an image of a guitar, you can ask what pickups are used. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The enhanced AI features come to Google Search as the company has made a full pivot to AI in the midst of ongoing competition from ChatGPT maker OpenAI. While the two AI players have been trading blows in terms of features, the recent release of Gemini 3 reportedly put OpenAI in a "code red" position. As a result, OpenAI released its GPT-5.2 model to remain competitive. The size of Google gives the company an edge. It can simply offer more features per dollar than OpenAI, including terabytes of additional storage in Google Drive for subscribers, along with massive context windows when using its AI tool Gemini. Gemini 3 was also trained on Google's own Tensor Processing Unit chips, rather than Nvidia chips. This means the company is not reliant on a third-party chip maker and can still make highly performant AI models. Already, some observers are saying that Google has effectively pulled ahead in the AI race.

Google just made it easier to upload files in AI Mode - try it now

Google just rolled out a change designed to help you discover AI Mode in Search. Without any fanfare or even an official announcement that I could find, Google has added a small plus sign to the main Search page. Hover over it, and you'll see "Upload files or images." Click or tap it, and you'll have the chance to upload a file to learn more about it through AI Mode. Also: Google search chief talks future of news content amid AI scramble The ability to upload files and photos already exists, but you have to choose to enter AI Mode. This new button brings that capability to the main Search page, and hopefully to a larger audience that might be wary of AI. To have AI Mode analyze something, simply tap the plus sign and upload your document. (Note that you can only upload and analyze one document at a time.) To give the feature a quick test, I uploaded a document outlining the requirement for a security grant I'm helping a local nonprofit with. I remembered the grant outlining details for door specifications, but I couldn't remember exactly what it said. When I asked AI mode, it was able to find the pertinent section of the document and relay the details. While this is a small change, it reveals where Google's priorities lie -- introducing AI into its various products and ensuring users have opportunities to utilize it. There's utility here for people who already use the feature, too, as it saves you a step in the process. Also: Google upgrades AI Mode with Canvas and 3 other new features - how to try them I was able to see the feature on desktop, but it wasn't present on my mobile browser or mobile app. Given that desktop users are more likely to upload PDFs or other files than mobile users, this makes sense. When I reached out to Google for more details, a spokesperson confirmed, "You can now upload images or PDFs directly to the Google Search bar on desktop and ask questions about them in AI Mode. It's another step in making it easier for you to ask anything, anywhere." The feature will be extended this week to all places where AI Mode is currently available.

Google Quietly Adds Another AI Trick to Its Search Bar

The Google.com search bar got a slight makeover recently to add an AI Mode upload button. The familiar search bar already features an AI Mode button on the right, but the left-hand side now includes a plus icon as well, Android Authority notes. Click it to upload an image or file, which will append it to the search bar. Type in a question about your upload, and Google will provide a response in its chatbot-like AI Mode window. It's not immediately clear that the plus button is related to AI Mode, however. The lens icon for traditional Google Image searches is still on the right side of the search bar. Even when you click the plus button on the left, it just says Upload file or Upload image; no mention of AI Mode. It's unclear how many people search from Google.com versus the Chrome search bar on desktop; Google's browser has a 71% global market share. However, Google hinted at deeper integrations of its AI products earlier this year amid growing competition with ChatGPT. Gemini, for example, is now built into the Chrome app for iPhone and iPad. The company is also using AI on Google Discover, its personalized content feed. As 9to5Google reports, a "Tailor your feed" Labs experiment will let you specify what you want to see. It may want to stay away from breaking news, however. A new test that uses AI to rewrite headlines is getting some of them wrong.

Google Search has a subtle new way to push you toward AI Mode

The UI doesn't clearly explain what the button is supposed to do. Google really wants people to try its AI Mode, which turns searching for information on the web into a quasi-conversation with a multimodal chatbot. Just last week, we saw that Chrome is getting ready to incorporate AI Mode right into the browser, and now, a new icon that surfaces some AI Mode functionality is showing up on the Google homepage. The search bar at google.com has included an AI Mode icon on the right hand side for some time. Today, we're seeing an additional plus icon at the left side of the bar. Clicking the plus brings up options to upload an image or document, either of which will initiate an AI Mode interaction where you can ask questions about your upload. What exactly this new button does is poorly telegraphed by the UI; there's no AI Mode branding connected the button until after you've uploaded your file. The tooltip that appears when you mouse over the icon just says "Upload files or images." Given Search's Lens integration similarly asks you to "Drag an image here or upload a file" when you click its search bar icon, the additional upload options might be a bit confusing to less engaged users. Still, compared to clicking the existing AI Mode icon and then uploading your file from there, the plus icon does save you a click, so there's some utility if you regularly use AI Mode to interact with pictures or other documents. I'm seeing the new plus icon across three separate Google accounts, so it seems to be rolled out widely. You can try it now at google.com.

The Google Search homepage adds a 'plus' menu

Historically, google.com does not change very often. After adding an AI Mode shortcut earlier this year, there's now a 'plus' menu on the Google Search homepage. On google.com, the Search bar now has a plus icon at the far left that replaces the magnifying glass. Clicking lets you "Upload image" or "Upload file." It very much matches the AI Mode experience. Those two capabilities aren't new, but this plus menu does help emphasize that you can use Google to accomplish tasks, and not just find information. Additionally, it helps indicate that they can be used with AI Mode and AI Overviews. This is just available on desktop web (not mobile) and is live on all the devices we checked today, including across signed-out Incognito sessions. Meanwhile, the Google app on iOS recently switched out the Google Labs beaker icon in the top-left corner of the Home tab for a button that opens your AI Mode history. This is extremely convenient, and not yet on Android. Google has tweaked the AI Mode home/prompt page so that the history button (which has been refreshed) also appears at the left, while the back/dismiss button is now at the right.