Google’s Big App Upgrades: AI image maker lands in Search and new saving and chat tools for Messages

Google is always working hard behind the scenes to make its popular apps better, and it looks like a few big updates are on the way for both the main Google search app and the Google Messages chat app. These changes aim to make your everyday tasks easier, from finding information to chatting with friends.

One of the most exciting new features is coming directly to the Google Search app. Soon, you’ll be able to create new pictures just by typing what you want. This feature, powered by Google’s special image-making AI, is being built right into the app’s search bar.

Instead of only searching for pictures that already exist, you can tell the AI exactly what to draw—say, “a purple cat riding a skateboard”—and it will make a brand-new image for you.

To use it, you’ll simply tap on the search bar in the Google app, look for a new little plus sign, and choose the option that says “Create images.” This clever tool is also starting to appear in other places, like the experimental version of the Chrome browser for Android phones.

On the other side of your phone, the Google Messages app is also getting several helpful tweaks that focus on making your conversations smoother.

For people who often share photos and videos, the app is fixing a small but annoying problem. Right now, when a friend sends you a picture and you save it to your phone, you just get a quick note confirming it was saved.

In the upcoming version, the app will give you a useful extra option: a button to open that saved photo immediately. This means you can quickly check the file or view it in a different photo app without having to hunt for it in your phone’s gallery.

Google is also trying to clear up any confusion about sharing your location. When you tap the button to send your location to a friend, Google is changing the words it uses to make it super clear that you are only sharing where you are at that exact moment. The company seems to want users to know this is a one-time location snapshot, not something that tracks your movements over time.

Finally, the smart assistant called Gemini is becoming more noticeable in the Messages app. While the app already has a floating button to let you access Gemini’s features, Google is thinking about making this button much bigger. This change would help more people see and use the AI’s smart tools more often inside their chats.

These improvements are currently being tested, which means Google developers are working hard behind the scenes to get them ready for everyone to use very soon.