Google can now combine results from text and image searches

Google has always offered filters and multiple terms for text searches — for example, “microsoft windows” might show results related to Microsoft, Windows, or both. However, there’s never been an easy way to do that with images, besides using Google’s reverse image search to figure out what something is, then starting a new text search with that. Google is now trying to fix this with a new ‘multisearch’ feature rolling out on mobile devices.

Google said in a blog post on Thursday, “with multisearch, you can ask a question about an object in front of you or refine your search by color, brand or a visual attribute. All this is made possible by our latest advancements in artificial intelligence, which is making it easier to understand the world around you in more natural and intuitive ways. We’re also exploring ways in which this feature might be enhanced by MUM– our latest AI model in Search– to improve results for all the questions you could imagine asking.”

The new functionality narrows down image results with additional text filters. For example, you could take a photo of a blue dress with Google Lens, then add “green” to find a green version. Google also says you could take a photo of a plant and add “care instructions” to learn how to properly grow it. I tried it by taking a photo of my black Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, then adding “white” to find results for the version with a white case.

Most of the use cases of multisearch seem to be geared toward commerce, but it might come in handy for other purposes too. The functionality is rolling out as a beta feature in English in the United States, and you’ll need to use the Google app. It’s already live on my devices, but if you don’t see it yet, try joining the Play Store beta/testing program for the Google app.