Google gets slick with new tablet search design

Google is rolling out a new user interface for search on tablets.

The design updates will pop up on Android and iOS tablets starting today, and the rollout should be complete “over the course of the next few days,” a Google spokesperson told Venturebeat.

The company said it’s not announcing improved tablet search for other operating systems at this time. Sorry, PlayBook owners.

Search results on tablets will now have a simpler layout, one that’s more inviting to touch actions. Certain elements, including text and buttons, will be larger and easier to interact with.

And since visual content is a big part of why people use tablets in the first place, Google revamped the image search results pages too. Image previews are larger, while scrolling is continuous and thumbnails load faster. Similarly, Shopping search serves up larger images and a few salient data points for each result, including star ratings and prices.

Search ads will be a bit different, too. In addition to some visual tweaks, there are also some changes in how ads appear when a tablet is held in landscape versus portrait orientation. In landscape mode, only two ads will appear above search results; in portrait mode, you’ll see three. A maximum of three ads will also appear at the bottom of search results.

Here’s a look at the new Google Search pages on tablets.