There’s a lot you can do with the Google app. While some recent feature additions to the app have been AI-related, Google is simultaneously working on other inclusions, such as the Pinterest-style “Images” tab we stumbled upon in May. This feature then made a brief appearance in the beta version of the Google app in June, but wasn’t widely available.
It’s been a while, but the tab is finally ready for prime time. In a blog post late on Wednesday, Google said the Images tab will begin rolling out today, offering “a new way to discover visual content” on the app. This new bottom bar tab will appear as the third option, flanked by Home and Search on one side and the Activity and Search tabs on the other side.
Google said the tab will be rolling out in the US over “the next few weeks”, including on iOS devices. There’s no word on an expansion of this feature to other parts of the world just yet.
Based on previous reporting on this feature, we already have a decent idea of how it works. First-time users will be asked to select three or more topics, with options including Travel, Home Decor, Fashion, DIY & Crafts, Makeup, among several others.
A Pinterest-like feature with a significant distinction
As the screenshots shared by Google show, users will receive a feed of images tailored to them with the default “For you” filter at the top of the screen, followed by other suggestion pills. There’s also a search bar directly above these filters, featuring buttons for voice input and Lens. You can save the images you like, with the ability to place them in specific folders under collections for later perusal.
Images can also be hidden from your feed, and pull-to-refresh is also implemented to ensure you never run out of images on your feed. That’s where this feature’s similarities with conventional social media apps end.
While it’s clear that this feature draws inspiration from Pinterest, there are no social aspects available here. There’s also no dedicated option to share the images you find within the Images tab, which is quite a big departure from an app like Pinterest. Of course, you can always take a screenshot and share what you find with your peers, but the feature is designed to be a private collection of images you discover online.
It’s worth mentioning that the bottom bar does get a little crowded with the inclusion of Images. This increases the likelihood of accidentally tapping any of the other tabs when you want to scroll through your feed of images.
What do you think about the new Images tab in the Google app?
