What you need to know
- Google announced an update that's rolling out this week for AI Overviews, which lets users ask follow-up questions much faster.
- In doing so, Google states AI Overviews, which now uses Gemini 3 by default, will keep the context of the original query in mind for relevance.
- Gemini 3 launched in November and was made available to subscribers in December; however, it's now coming to even more users globally.
A "new Search experience" is rolling out this week, courtesy of a Google update that integrates its newest AI model.
This morning (Jan 27), Google announced in a blog post that users can expect a major Search update to arrive, beginning today. The update is two-pronged. Google states it's rolling out a change to make the "transition to a conversation even more seamless." This is more of a QoL (quality of life) update than anything else, as Google says users can hop into follow-up questions much faster in AI Overviews.
As users receive the update, you can pose your initial query as normal. However, scrolling down to the text box once again and asking another question tosses users into a "back and forth" with AI Mode, as Google puts it. The follow-up questions will continue to retain the original conversation's context, alongside relevant links and more.
The other side of this update (and, arguably, what's carrying everything) is Gemini 3.
Google announces that Gemini 3 has now been moved into the default AI model behind everything AI Mode accomplishes for users. The post states Gemini 3 is available globally for users in Search/AI Overviews for queries and follow-up questions.
Gemini 3
Gemini 3 was announced in November and positioned as Google's most powerful AI model to date. Shortly after, the company made another announcement, stating the AI was headed to AI Mode in Search globally. The key takeaway from this is that Google first brought Gemini 3 to users who were AI Pro or AI Ultra subscribers. Those users, when engaged with AI Mode's complete view, could hit the drop-down menu and switch its thinking to Gemini 3.
Google announced that Gemini 3 in "AI Mode can grasp the nuance of your most complex queries." Now that the model has moved into a default position within AI Overviews and is available to users globally, it might get a ton more mileage. Gemini 3 also arrived in NotebookLM late last month, too.
Android Central's Take
Considering how you're speaking to a computer, understanding the "nuance" in a user's query is incredibly important. I personally don't want to see a time where you're asking about local events or pop-up events in a city and AI Overview's giving me tents for an outdoor trip (not that it's ever happened before). Google bringing Gemini 3 into AI Overviews as a default model makes sense. Subscribers and those who want to go the distance can grab its Pro model if required. Moving the base model into a spot where the average person can reach it is always a plus in my book.
