Google launches Search Live globally with real-time camera and voice search

Google Expands Search Live to 200+ Countries

Google is rolling out its Search Live feature globally, making real-time voice and camera-based search available to users in more than 200 countries. The feature is now accessible through the Google app on both Android and iOS, as well as through Google Lens.

How Search Live Works

Search Live enables two primary interaction modes:

Voice Search: Users can ask questions aloud and receive spoken answers paired with relevant web links.

Camera Search: With the camera active, users can point their phone at physical objects and ask contextual questions. Google cites assembling furniture as an example use case—a user could point their camera at a shelf and ask for assembly instructions.

Powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash Live

The feature runs on Google's new Gemini 3.1 Flash Live model, a multilingual audio and voice model designed to enable more natural conversational interactions. The model processes real-time audio and visual input, eliminating the need for users to photograph objects and wait for processing—searches occur while the camera is actively pointed at the subject.

Specific details about the model's capabilities, latency, or technical specifications have not yet been disclosed by Google.

Integration and Accessibility

Search Live is integrated into the AI mode within the Google app, positioning it as a core search interface rather than a standalone feature. The global rollout marks a significant expansion from previous limited availability, though Google has not specified whether all regions receive identical functionality or if certain features vary by location.

What This Means

Google is attempting to shift mobile search from text-based queries to multimodal interactions where users can leverage their device's camera and microphone as primary input methods. This represents a strategic response to AI-powered search competition and aligns with Google's broader efforts to integrate Gemini capabilities across its product suite. The real-time processing requirement suggests significant advances in inference speed—Search Live must provide responses while the camera remains pointed at objects, not after capturing static images. The feature's availability across 200+ countries indicates Google's confidence in Gemini 3.1 Flash Live's multilingual capabilities, though performance variations across languages and regions remain unknown.