Google’s 2024-released AI Overviews, whether you like them or not, are only going to be more visible from here on out.
Despite a rocky start that saw the tool giving out incorrect and sometimes even potentially harmful information, the tool has stuck around. Initially limited to the US, the AI Overviews have now expanded to over 100 countries and territories globally.
If phase one was to expand availability, phase two would be to improve functionality, and that’s exactly what Google seems to be testing out right now.
Back in November 2024, Google was spotted working on a feature that would let users select an excerpt from a generated AI Overview to get additional information. This would let users narrow down their search, essentially by generating a new AI Overview of their existing AI Overview.
The feature hasn’t since materialized, but it looks like Google’s getting close. As highlighted by Android Authority quoting a reader tip, Google seems to be testing the feature out with a limited number of users, and it comes with additional controls this time around.
Likely a mobile exclusive
The option to further narrow down AI Overviews is believed to be a smartphone-exclusive feature. When it was first spotted, the feature would automatically trigger when a portion of the Overview’s text was selected and highlighted. Now, Google seems to be giving users more control.
As highlighted in the screenshots above, once available, selecting a portion of a generated AI Overview will bring up a new UI that takes up roughly 1/4th of the screen’s bottom section. It will surface three new buttons, namely Explain this, Related images, and Copy Text. The new Related images search section is entirely new, while Explain this and Copy are existing functionalities that are now presented as dedicated buttons, essentially making it easier for users to choose their intended action when highlighting text.
As mentioned earlier, Google seems to be testing the new feature in a very limited capacity. However, considering that there has been clear progress since the feature first leaked, it is highly plausible that the functionality might begin rolling out widely in the near future.
