In April, Google released the beta feature of its newest tool, which was only released in English to Android or iOS users in the United States. Google has created a new way you can search for information — Google Multisearch, which will allow you to use both text and image in the same search query. Multisearch is an add-on to Google Lens, which is the company’s image recognition technology. You might have had the experience of wanting to search for something, but you just did not have the right words to describe it, but with Multisearch, that problem is now solved. 

Why Was Multisearch Designed?

Multisearch was designed to give users the opportunity to search and locate information that would otherwise elude them. Not all queries can be answered merely by text or speech; some need both. If there is some object in front of you that you cannot describe as accurately as you might want to, Multisearch will be able to help you find the information that you are looking for. 

Since Multisearch uses AI technology, you will also have some access to other really cool features, like being able to ask Multisearch questions about the object before you. 

How Can I Use Google Multisearch?

At its Search On event last year, Google first broke the news that it would be releasing this exciting new technology. Google suggested that they thought the best case use — and largely the impetus for the technology — was for fashion needs and interests. Do you have a dress in front of you at a vintage clothing store, but you need it in your size or perhaps a different color? Well, now you can find that dress, shoe, hat, piece of luggage, or jewelry that you have in front of you. By combining a keyword search with an image, you greatly increase your chances of finding what you are looking for. 

Currently, Multisearch can only be used on Android and iOS, and you just need to select a screenshot from your phone or take a photo of something. Next step, you swipe up on the photo and click “+ Add to your search,” and then add the text that will complete the query. Then, the results will populate. In order to access this latest feature, you need to have the latest version of the Google app. If you use Android, then you already have the Google app. If you use iOS, then you will have to download the Google app. 

Some Possible Use Cases

Let us take a closer look at just how someone could use the Multisearch tool. You have found a blouse that you really like, but it is not in the color that you like — the blouse is in blue, and you think you look better in green. So, you take a photo of the blouse, type in ‘green,’ and begin your query. This way, the search engine now knows what the blouse looks like and the color it should search for. 

You can also use this when looking for furniture. But you are not sure whether or not this new piece will compliment your current furniture arraignment and aesthetic. So before you go shopping for furniture, make sure you take a photo of your current dining set, for example. You take the photo, and then search it and add the text “coffee table,” thereby providing you with a coffee table that matches your dining set. 

Another great possible use case to consider. Imagine you have a plant, but you forgot to ask the person at the plant nursery how exactly to take care of it, and you threw out the receipt, so you do not know the name of the plant. Instead of making your way back to the plant nursery and asking what plant it is and how you can take care of it, you can now take a photo of the plant and use the text “at-home care instructions” to see what exactly you need to do. 

The key task that a company like Google has is trying to provide its users with the best possible experience. In the case of its search engine, they are trying to provide you with the most accurate and relevant search results. Multisearch, Google intends, is one step forward in providing accurate and relevant information. 

How is Google Multisearch Possible?

You might be interested in the possible use cases and Google’s motivation for developing this technology, but you are still probably wondering — how does this technology work? Google has credited the development of Multisearch with the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is getting better and better at recognizing particular patterns, and as it gets better at recognizing patterns, it will also get better at providing you with accurate search results. In addition to the Artificial Intelligence that Multisearch currently uses, Google is also working on a technology called Multitask Unified Model (MUM). MUM is a fascinating new technology that will be able to simultaneously understand information across a variety of mediums — like video, image, text, and audio, all the while drawing insights and connections between all the different pieces of information. 

Regarding the Google Search experience, Google has also been at work on some other fronts. Namely, providing users with a safe experience on the search engine. When you are searching for certain sensitive subjects, you do not need to see the most triggering and grotesque possible examples. So, when searching sensitive subjects like suicide, substance abuse, or domestic violence, Google’s artificial intelligence will begin to provide an experience that is safer and more pleasant for its users.