According to TechCrunch, Google is launching a dedicated images tab in its mobile search app that could challenge Pinterest’s dominance in inspirational imagery. The company announced on Wednesday it’s adding an “Images” icon at the bottom of its Search app for iOS and Android devices, displaying personalized images that update daily. The feature specifically targets Pinterest’s core use cases like trip planning, party hosting, apartment decorating, and fashion discovery. Users can browse images, search for others, and save favorites to collections, with rollout happening over the next few weeks in the U.S. without a global timeframe provided. This comes as Google faces pressure from AI companies eating into its search and ads business.
The Pinterest play
Here’s the thing: Google isn’t just adding another feature. They’re going after Pinterest’s entire reason for existing. Think about it – when you need visual inspiration for home decor, recipes, or wedding planning, where do you go? For millions of people, that’s Pinterest territory. Now Google wants to be your first stop instead.
And honestly, it makes perfect sense. Google already knows what you’re interested in from your search history. They can serve up personalized inspiration without you even asking for it. That’s way more powerful than waiting for users to type specific queries. Basically, they’re turning search from reactive to proactive.
Ad space goldmine
But let’s be real – this isn’t just about user experience. It’s about advertising real estate. Google has already been spotted testing ads carousels within the image tab, and this new feature creates a perfect surface for visual ads. Think home improvement companies paying to show up when you’re browsing kitchen renovation ideas, or travel agencies appearing in trip planning collections.
This is crucial for Google right now. With AI companies like ChatGPT eating into traditional search, they need new places to run ads. And inspirational imagery? That’s basically premium ad territory. Fashion, home goods, travel – these are high-value categories that advertisers will pay top dollar to reach.
Collections reboot
Now, this isn’t Google’s first attempt at saving stuff from search. Remember Collections from 2018? That feature let you save websites, products, and locations – but it never really took off. This new images tab feels like Collections 2.0, but focused specifically on visual content that people actually want to save and organize.
The timing is interesting too. As Google’s blog post mentions, they’re leaning into visual discovery just as Pinterest has been struggling to maintain growth. It’s almost like they’re seeing weakness in the market and pouncing.
Broader implications
So what does this mean for the broader landscape? Well, it’s another example of big tech platforms encroaching on each other’s territory. Google wants visual discovery, Instagram wants shopping, TikTok wants search – everyone’s trying to be everything to everyone.
For users, this could actually be great. Having inspirational content integrated directly into search means one less app to jump between. But for Pinterest? This has to be concerning. When the world’s biggest search engine decides to compete directly with your core business, that’s never good news.
Ultimately, this move shows how competitive the visual discovery space has become. And with AI changing how people find information, Google needs to keep innovating – even if that means stepping on a few toes along the way.
