Google Tests AI-Focused Homepage for Signed-Out Users

Google appears to be testing a more AI-focused version of its homepage for people who are not signed into a Google Account.

The homepage adds Create images, Ask about files, and Brainstorm below the search box instead of the usual Google Search button, while an AI Mode button appears inside the search field.

We spotted the homepage while using Google Search in the stable version of Chrome without a signed-in account. We also saw the same layout in Microsoft Edge and Perplexity’s Comet browser.

Image Credit: Venkat | Search Engine Watch

These controls do more than promote Google’s AI features. In our testing, Ask about files and Brainstorm worked without a Google Account, and we could also use AI Mode while signed out.

The Ask about files shortcut is particularly interesting. A + button appears inside the search box and lets us attach a file before submitting a question. We could then ask questions about the uploaded file without signing in.

Brainstorm also works while signed out. After selecting the shortcut, we get a prompt where we can describe what we need and receive an answer.

The homepage also shows Create images, but this option has a different requirement. Google requires users to sign in to a Google Account before they can create an image.

The difference becomes clearer when we compare this version with Google’s traditional homepage. Google normally shows Google Search and I’m Feeling Lucky below the search box. In this version, Create images, Ask about files, and Brainstorm take the place of the Google Search button, while I’m Feeling Lucky remains.

The homepage also changes after we sign in to a Google Account. The three AI shortcuts disappeared after sign-in and returned after we signed out again.

Google has not said whether everyone will see this homepage. The change could be part of a test or server-side rollout, and Google may batas it by account, session, or location.

For some signed-out visitors, Google appears to be testing a homepage that puts image creation, file questions, and brainstorming alongside the search box. In our testing, AI Mode, Ask about files, and Brainstorm worked without signing in, while Create images required a Google Account.