The new search by image feature lets users search by either uploading a picture of their own, or using a picture already on the web. Google then searches for images similar to it, and returns search results about the thing the picture is of.
It's the same technology that's been available on Android smartphones since 2009 in the form of Google Goggles, which let users take a picture with their phone's camera and search for similar images.
In a post on the official Google blog, search head Johanna Wright wrote: 'You might have an old vacation photo, but forgot the name of that beautiful beach. Typing [ guy on a rocky path on a cliff with an island behind him] isn’t exactly specific enough to help find your answer. So when words aren’t as descriptive as the image, you can now search using the image itself.'
The search doesn't always work with pictures of just anything - it's most effective with things like landmarks, artworks, and (apparently) unusual animals.
Google also announced a bundle of other new search features, including bringing voice search to the desktop (another feature imported from Android), Google Instant for Images, and something called Instant Pages, which in Google's Chrome browser pre-loads popular pages before you click on the search results, meaning you see them far quicker.
The new features will be rolled out to users on Google.com over the coming week.
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