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Google's Multisearch Helps You Find That Thing You Can't Describe

The feature uses artificial intelligence to help people find what they're looking for through more intuitive means.

Imad Khan Senior Reporter
Imad is a senior reporter covering Google and internet culture. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN, Tom's Guide and Wired, among others.
Expertise Google, Internet Culture
Imad Khan
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Google Multisearch works by using photos and text to help people search for things.

Screenshot by CNET

Google said Thursday that it's rolling out a new tool called Multisearch that allows people to search with a combination of photos and text. This feature uses artificial intelligence to help people find what they're looking for through more intuitive means.

For example, you might want to learn how to take care of a rose but may not know the exact species. Multisearch allows you to take a photo of the rose and add "care instructions" as text. Multisearch will then find the result. An example laid out in a press release includes taking a photo of an orange dress and adding "green" to the search query to look for the item in that color. Multisearch will not only find images of similarly styled green dresses, but also give purchasing options from retailers. 

To use the tool, open up the Google app either on Android or iOS, tap the Lens icon to take a photo or pull up a saved image in a gallery. Then swipe up to see the current list of results and tap the "+ Add to your search" button to add additional query text. 

The feature is currently in beta for English users in the US.