Google Images turns 25 and introduces a Pinterest feature
Google Images was launched 25 years ago. Back then, it was incredibly easy to use: you entered a few words and received matching images. Image search has evolved significantly over the years and is now undergoing a comprehensive overhaul to mark its 25th anniversary.
Google Images with new Collections feature
Google Images is getting a new homepage. You might not see a difference yet—the switchover will happen over the coming weeks, starting with the desktop version in US English. Once the new homepage is live, it will resemble Pinterest in appearance and functionality.
This page displays images that an algorithm suggests you might like, even before you enter anything into the search field. The view is automatically updated with new images in real time.
And here it’s similar to Pinterest – you can add images to collections to save ideas for travel, outfits, furniture and anything else that interests you.
Nano Banana 2
Next, we’ll introduce you to a handy tool if Google Images can’t find the right image: With Nano Banana 2, you can easily create one yourself. Simply describe the desired image in the search field. It will then be displayed in the AI overview that appears above most search results. Here’s a demo:
Image generation in search will soon be available in English in all regions that currently support AI-powered image generation.
Incidentally, Google’s blog post about these new features also includes the history of Google Images. It begins in 2001 and progresses rather slowly at first, but picks up speed rapidly from 2025 onwards – the full story can be found at the source link. Another milestone was the introduction of “Similar Images” in 2009. This fundamentally changed how image search works: instead of searching for images with words, users now used images to search for images.
Initially, users could only use images that appeared in the search results. However, in 2011, Google introduced image search, which allowed users to search using their own uploaded images.
This led to the development of Google Lens in 2018 – instead of uploading an image, users could simply take a photo and use it to identify objects or translate text. This was followed by Circle to Search, which used the smartphone’s screen content for searches. Circle to Search is now available on 580 million Android devices.
