Google expands Search Live to New Zealand in AI Mode

Google has expanded Search Live to all markets where AI Mode is available, including New Zealand, covering more than 200 countries and territories.

Users in New Zealand can now speak with Search in AI Mode through voice and camera on Android and iOS. Designed for interactive exchanges, the feature lets people ask questions aloud, receive audio replies, and continue with follow-up questions in the same conversation.

The broader launch is tied to Google's Gemini 3.1 Flash Live model, intended to support more natural conversations, faster responses, and improved reliability. The multilingual model also allows users in supported markets to speak to Search in their preferred language.

Search Live is built into the Google app, where users can tap the Live icon below the search bar to start a voice conversation. It can also show web links alongside responses, letting users move from spoken answers to more detailed information online.

Camera input

Google is also expanding the tool's use of visual input. By pointing a camera at an object or task, users can ask questions based on what is on screen.

One example is someone installing a shelving unit and asking for help while showing the setup through their phone's camera. Search Live can respond in real time and provide links to relevant information on the web.

The same feature is available through Google Lens. Users can tap the Live option at the bottom of the Lens screen to begin a back-and-forth conversation about whatever the camera is viewing.

The update reflects Google's broader push to make search more conversational as competition intensifies around generative AI tools. Voice interaction and image-based queries are becoming a bigger part of how technology companies try to keep users inside their own apps rather than sending them elsewhere for answers.

For Google, the international rollout also extends AI Mode beyond English-speaking users. By emphasising multilingual support, it aims to make the service more usable across a wider range of markets, where language support can shape adoption at scale.

In New Zealand, the launch adds another AI search tool for consumers already familiar with Google Lens and voice search. The difference is that users can hold an ongoing spoken exchange with Search and switch between audio, text, and camera input within the same interaction.

Caroline Rainsford, Country Director, Google New Zealand, said, "We're always working to make Search more helpful, and we're excited to see how Kiwis use Search Live to learn, explore and get things done."