Google AI Mode: How to Turn It On, Off & What It Does

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AI Mode is a separate tab in Google Search where, instead of a list of links, you get one answer written by the Gemini model, with links to sources and a field for follow-up questions. It launched globally on October 8, 2025, is free, and doesn’t turn on by itself. To use it, type a question into Google and click the “AI Mode” tab above the results, or go to google.com/ai. Below: how to enable it on desktop, mobile, and Chrome, how it differs from AI Overviews, how to return to regular results, and what it’s actually good for.

AI Mode at a Glance

How to Turn On Google AI Mode Step by Step

You don’t need to install anything or change settings. Google’s help documentation lists three entry points, and Chrome has a fourth. We verified these in Google’s documentation on September 30, 2026.

On Desktop, in Your Browser

1. Go to google.com and type a question.
2. Above the results, click the AI Mode tab. If you don’t see it, expand “More”.
3. Type follow-up questions in the “Ask about anything” bar at the bottom of the screen. The context from your previous question remains.

Faster route: type google.com/ai in the address bar. This opens the AI Mode window directly.

On Mobile, in the Google App

1. Open the Google app on Android or iPhone and update it if the store suggests an update.
2. On the home screen, tap AI Mode next to the search field.
3. You can ask questions with text, voice (microphone icon), or an image.

In Chrome, from the Address Bar

1. Open Chrome on your computer.
2. On the right side of the address bar, click AI Mode or press Tab, then Enter.
3. Type your question. Asking about the page you’re currently viewing opens the answer in a side panel.

Google notes that AI Mode in Chrome is rolling out gradually outside the US and in languages other than English, so the button may not yet appear in every browser.

Via URL, as a Shortcut

AI Mode results have the parameter udm=50 in the URL. The address https://www.google.com/search?q=your+question&udm=50&hl=en opens the answer directly in AI Mode. This parameter is not officially documented by Google, so it may stop working at some point.

Why Don’t I See AI Mode

• Google Workspace business account. Your administrator may have disabled search or history, which makes some features unavailable.
• Child account in Family Link. Settings are managed by a parent.
• Chrome without the button. The address bar feature is rolling out in stages, and Google’s help suggests enabling Web & App Activity.
• Old version of the Google app. Updating usually solves this.
• Interface language. If Google is set to a different language than your question, the answer can come out as a mix. Adding hl=en or changing the language in search settings helps.

Google’s help also notes that AI Mode works without history enabled, but you won’t be able to return to previous searches.

AI Mode vs. AI Overviews vs. Gemini

Confusing these is the most common mistake, so here’s a clear distinction.

In short: AI Overviews are an addition to results, AI Mode is their replacement, and Gemini is a separate product. If you see a summary box with normal links below it, you’re in regular search, not AI Mode. Advice about Gemini settings doesn’t change how Google results look. We describe the standalone app in our Google Gemini guide.

Technically, AI Mode uses a technique Google calls query branching: it splits your question into subtopics, sends multiple searches simultaneously, and assembles one answer from the results. When the system isn’t confident about answer quality, it shows a set of regular links instead.

Does AI Mode Work Globally and in Multiple Languages

Yes. Google announced the launch of AI Mode on October 8, 2025, along with 36 new languages in nearly 50 countries. On the list of countries and languages in Google’s help, which we checked on September 30, 2026, both are included. You don’t need unofficial extensions that promise access.

A few features have limitations:

• More powerful model. In the query bar menu, you can select “Pro”, meaning Gemini 3 Pro. The model has daily limits. Google states that access is available to users in selected countries and adult subscribers of Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra, and that paid plans raise the limit when the free one runs out.
• Interactive charts and simulations. According to Google, these currently work for logged-in users in English.
• Personalization. Tailoring answers to your history works for users 18+ with search history enabled.

Quality in different languages depends on the topic. AI Mode builds answers from pages it finds, and there are more sources available in English. For narrow local topics like recipes or local services, the answer may be based on two or three pages, making it even more important to open them.

How to Turn Off AI Mode and Return to Regular Results

Here’s the good and bad news. Good: you don’t need to turn off AI Mode because it only activates when you request it. Bad: you can’t disable AI Overviews. Google states plainly in its help that it’s a core search feature, like knowledge panels. But there are ways to avoid seeing it.

Exiting AI Mode

Click the All tab above the answer or type a new question at google.com. In Chrome, you can hide the AI Mode button in the address bar like this: right-click it and uncheck Always show AI Mode. This instruction comes from Chrome’s help.

The “Web” Filter for Plain Links Only

After typing a query, select Web above the results (sometimes hidden under “More”). You get only classic text links, without AI Overviews and without panels. It works immediately, but you need to select it for each search.

Making the “Web” Filter Permanent via Browser Settings

The “Web” filter has the parameter udm=14 in the URL. You can set it as your default search engine:

1. In Chrome, go to Settings → Search engine → Manage search engines and site search (in Firefox: Settings → Search).
2. Add a new search engine with any name, e.g. “Google without AI”.
3. For the URL, enter https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14.
4. Set it as default.

From now on, every search from the address bar goes directly to the plain pages view. This is a browser setting, not a Google account setting, so you’ll need to repeat it on your phone and other computers. The parameter isn’t officially documented, so it may stop working after Google makes changes.

Deleting AI Mode History

On desktop, open AI Mode, click AI Mode history on the left, select Delete for a chosen item, or Delete all to clear everything. Watch out for the trap Google describes: a search deleted from AI Mode history still appears in search history and must be deleted there too. It disappears from “My Activity” automatically within 24 hours.

What These Methods Don’t Do

None of them remove AI features from your Google account. They only change the view you get. The Gemini assistant on your phone is a separate matter and has nothing to do with search. How to move it away from the power button is described in our article on how to disable Gemini. If someone promises permanent disabling of AI answers in Google through a browser extension, check it yourself, because search appearance changes every few weeks.

What AI Mode Is Good For and What It Isn’t

For complex questions where you’d normally open five tabs at once: comparisons, “what’s the difference between X and Y”, trip planning with conditions. For descriptive questions when you don’t know the right term and can’t formulate a keyword. For follow-ups, because an additional question doesn’t erase the context of the previous one. For questions with an image or file: AI Mode accepts images, PDFs, and files from Drive.

It performs worse when you’re looking for a specific page (you waste time reading a paragraph instead of clicking), when freshness from the last few hours matters, and when you need a number, date, price, or record you can cite. In those cases, the “Web” filter and opening the source are faster and more reliable.

How to Ask a Question So the Answer Can Be Verified

Example for your own test: “Compare presentation apps. I need PPTX export and the ability to work with provided text. Separate permanent free plans from trial periods, provide manufacturer pages, and mark what you couldn’t confirm.” This kind of question states what you’re looking for and what evidence you need.

This doesn’t mean AI will meet all conditions. In this pattern, there are three criteria: text handling, export, and type of free access. With four apps, that’s 12 fields to check (3 × 4). This is a number resulting from the example, not a success rate statistic. In each field, we record confirmation or lack of data.

A follow-up like “which one is best?” blurs the criteria again. Better to ask which apps meet all conditions and which ones couldn’t be confirmed. The principles of precise prompting are described in our article about what a prompt is.

How We Verify Answers

Google itself warns that AI answers may contain errors and advises checking important information in more than one place. We verify sentences with dates, offer terms, and numbers: we open the source and look for the fragment that should confirm them. The most common reasons we reject an answer:

• the table mixes monthly and annual prices,
• a paid plan feature ends up in the free plan description,
• a pilot program announcement becomes general availability, and the word “selected” disappears from the plan description,
• today’s result leads to a description from a year ago.

The model can also provide a non-existent detail with a real link next to it, which looks credible. That’s why for documents and important decisions, we treat the answer as a path to material, not its replacement. More about comparing answer quality can be found in our benchmarks and AI model rankings.

What AI Mode Changes for Websites

The answer in AI Mode is built from content from other people’s pages, but users no longer have to visit them. For publishers, this means impressions without clicks. In Search Console, we’ve been seeing this for months as a growing number of impressions with a steady number of clicks. This is an observation from one site, not market research. The practical takeaway for writers: what matters is whether the page is cited as a source, not just placement in the classic top ten. We explore this more broadly in articles about SEO that’s no longer written for Google and about whether AI will replace SEO.

AI Mode vs. ChatGPT and Perplexity

AI Mode is closer to Perplexity than classic chat: it answers based on current results and shows sources. The difference is in infrastructure, because Google has its own index, maps, and store data at hand. ChatGPT wins when it comes to writing and working with your text, not searching. We’ve collected the prices of paid plans for all three in our pricing hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AI Mode in Google?

It’s a separate tab in Google Search that, instead of a list of links, shows a longer answer written by Gemini, with links to sources and a field for follow-up questions. It’s not the same as AI Overviews, which is a short summary above regular results.

How do you turn on AI Mode?

Type a question at google.com and click the “AI Mode” tab above the results. You can also go to google.com/ai, tap “AI Mode” in the Google app, or click the button on the right side of the address bar in Chrome. You don’t need to install anything.

Is AI Mode free?

Yes. It works without fees. Subscribers to Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra get higher limits for the more powerful Gemini 3 Pro model in AI Mode.

Does AI Mode work in multiple languages?

Yes, since October 8, 2025. Nearly 50 countries and 36+ languages are on Google’s official list. If the answer mixes languages, set your language in search settings or add hl=en to the URL.

How do you turn off AI Mode in Google?

You don’t need to turn off AI Mode because it only works after clicking the tab. Just return to the “All” tab. You can hide the Chrome address bar button by right-clicking and unchecking “Always show AI Mode”.

Can you permanently disable AI in Google?

There’s no official switch. According to Google, AI Overviews are a core search feature. The closest to permanent disabling is a custom search engine in your browser with a URL containing udm=14, the “Web” filter.

Why don’t I see the AI Mode tab?

Most often because of a business account with administrator restrictions, a child account in Family Link, an old version of the Google app, or gradual rollout in Chrome. On a regular account in a browser, the address google.com/ai also works.

Does AI Mode save my questions?

Yes, if you have history enabled. Questions go to AI Mode History and to search history. Deleting from one place doesn’t remove the entry from the other, so you need to delete it in both.

Kinetyra