Google revamps mobile image search

Google has improved the way images are returned when searching on mobile devices, claiming that the changes will make it quicker to find images without having to go through several pages of results.

The company said that the new version of Image Search for Mobile is available today on iPhone 3.0+ and Android 2.1 devices, and features a number of enhancements.

Images are presented in a square thumbnail format to allow more to fit on one page, while users can also make the most of touch technology to swipe or tap through pages.

"We optimised for speed so that the images appear quickly when you browse," said Leo Ting and Nick Fey of the Google user experience designer group, in a blog post.

"When it comes to viewing the images, we now make them as large as possible by introducing a special image viewing page."

The page has a black background designed to emphasise the image, and any buttons fade after a few seconds.

Users can try the new features by visiting Google on their phone and tapping the 'Images' button. The service is available in 38 languages, and the firm has posted a video on YouTube showing the new features.