Overview
- Multiple outlets reported Tuesday that some signed‑out desktop visitors saw a Google homepage that removed the classic Search button and showed three shortcuts labeled “Ask about files,” “Brainstorm,” and “Create images.”
- Google’s search vice president Robby Stein said the layout is a small desktop test and that the core search box still works for normal queries entered with Enter or Return.
- The three shortcuts behave differently: Ask about files adds a plus button to upload documents for Q&A, Brainstorm opens a conversational prompt that accepts follow‑ups, and Create images stops at a sign‑in wall.
- The change is delivered as a limited server‑side A/B experiment that appears to target anonymous users across multiple browsers and geographies, with the classic homepage returning after sign‑in.
- Observers point out practical reasons and risks: image generation is likely gated for cost and policy reasons, and earlier analyses show embedded AI answers can cut clicks to external sites and spread inaccuracies.