Google has expanded the language capabilities of its artificial intelligence-powered Search features, AI Overview and AI mode, to include Yoruba and Hausa, enabling millions of Nigerians to access AI-assisted information in their native languages.
The development allows users who speak these languages to interact with Google Search in a more natural way, using their mother tongue to receive quick summaries of information and explore topics through conversational queries.
The update means that users across Nigeria – from students in Kano seeking information in Hausa to traders in Ibadan asking questions in Yorùbá – can now benefit from AI-powered search experiences tailored to their language.According to Google, the expansion forms part of a broader effort to make artificial intelligence more inclusive across Africa.
With the latest update, Google’s AI Search features now support 13 African languages, significantly widening access to digital knowledge and tools across the continent. By addressing language barriers, the company says the initiative ensures technology better reflects the identity, culture and communication preferences of the communities it serves.
With enhanced functionality, users can ask complex questions in their preferred language using AI Mode, which provides deeper exploration of information and enables a more conversational, intuitive interaction with the web. The features also support both text and voice input, making them accessible to a broader range of users.
Speaking on the development, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, West Africa at Google, said the expansion reflects the company’s commitment to building a truly global and locally relevant Search experience.
“Building a truly global Search goes far beyond translation — it requires a nuanced understanding of local information,” he said. “With the advanced multimodal and reasoning capabilities of our custom version of Gemini in Search, we’ve made huge strides in language understanding, so our most advanced AI search capabilities are locally relevant and useful in each new language we support. This is about ensuring Nigerians can converse with Search in their mother tongues, making information more helpful for everyone.”
The 13 African languages now supported by Google’s AI Search capabilities include Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, Yorùbá and isiZulu.
Google said these languages were selected based on strong search activity across the continent and the need to ensure that AI-powered experiences reach communities where they can have the greatest impact.Users can access the features by opening the Google app on Android or iOS devices, or via the web, selecting AI Mode within the Search experience and typing or speaking their questions in their preferred language.
The update marks another step in Google’s efforts to broaden access to AI-powered tools while strengthening digital inclusion across Africa, particularly in countries like Nigeria where indigenous languages remain central to everyday communication.