Google announced a redesigned Arts & Culture mobile app on September 28, 2026, adding conversational search for material held by its cultural partners. The update marks the service's 15th anniversary and includes a new home feed, two AI experiments and more City Guide destinations.
The new search experience begins with a question in the user's own words. Google says the response combines an explanation with visual material and curated stories from partner collections. Its examples range from painting techniques and museums in Paris to telescope images, food traditions and cats depicted in art. Those examples illustrate different paths into the archive: a user can begin with a subject, a place or a visual interest without already knowing which institution holds relevant material.
Google says it has worked with more than 3,000 cultural institutions and artists in over 90 countries during the project's history. The collections include high-resolution artworks and archaeological objects in three dimensions, alongside fashion, performance, crafts, food heritage, natural history, science and nature. Users can explore these partner archives through the app's search experience.
The homepage also changes. A single feed brings together short cultural stories, daily selections and entrances to interactive features. Among those features are two new AI experiments. Chrono Look depicts users in clothing associated with historical periods through sketches and more realistic renderings. Dial-an-Artist offers simulated exchanges with historical figures about their work. The latter is presented as a simulation, not as recovered testimony or a conversation with the person whose work is being discussed.
The redesign includes an expansion of City Guide, adding 27 destinations with cultural landmarks and current cultural events. Users can browse a destination's cultural attractions alongside the app's subject-based search and daily feed. Google says the refreshed app began rolling out globally on September 28 through Google Play and Apple's App Store.