Google Images, the tech giant’s image search engine, is taking on Pinterest with its latest redesign, turning the site into a dynamic, viewable gallery of images from around the web. To celebrate 25 years since the debut of Google Images, Google is also adding a way for users to create AI images directly within Search.
Pinterest has long been known for allowing people to browse and save visual inspiration for everything from fashion to home decor. With this redesign, Google is essentially copying that strategy by making Google Images a place for discovery and inspiration, not just search, which could increase the time users spend on the Google platform and lead to more advertising revenue.
Additionally, Google may be hoping that if users can’t find the image they’re looking for in Google Images, or want to visualize something, they’ll stay within its ecosystem and create the image instead of relying on a third-party service like ChatGPT.
When navigating to the redesigned Google Images, users will see a “For You” gallery of images tailored to their interests and browsing history. Like Pinterest, the gallery is designed for continuous viewing, and Google says new images are updated in real time.
While browsing, users can save ideas to “collections”, which appear as tabs above the main gallery of photos. For example, users can create collections of vacation outfit ideas, travel inspiration, how to design a reading nook, and more to come back to later.
This redesign will roll out in English on US desktops over the next few weeks. The tech giant says users will need to sign in to their Google account to try it out.
As for generating images directly in search, Google says this feature is for when you have a very specific idea for an image that doesn’t already exist online. Google is bringing image generation directly into its AI brief for search, using its latest Nano Banana model to transform text prompts into custom visuals.
This feature also helps users rethink their spaces and visualize ideas, such as what a red-painted room might look like or what a coastal-themed dorm room might look like.
According to Google, image generation in AI Overview will begin rolling out in English in the coming weeks to all regions that currently support image generation in AI mode.
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