Google Search queries hit an ‘all time high’ last quarter

CEO Sundar Pichai also says that Google had its ‘strongest quarter ever’ for its consumer AI subscriptions.

by Jay Peters

Apr 29, 2026, 8:28 PM UTC

Image: Laura Normand / The Verge Jay Peters is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.

Google Search queries hit an “all time high” in the first quarter of 2026, according to a statement from CEO Sundar Pichai published as part of Alphabet’s earnings on Wednesday.

“Our AI investments and full stack approach are lighting up every part of the business,” Pichai says. “Search had a strong quarter with AI experiences driving usage, queries at an all time high, and 19% revenue growth.” He also notes that Q1 was “our strongest quarter ever for our consumer AI plans, driven by the Gemini App” and that the company now has more than 350 million paid subscriptions, with “YouTube and Google One being the key drivers.”

Alphabet also announced consolidated revenues of $109.9 billion, up 22 percent year-over-year from revenues of $90.2 billion. Google Services revenues overall were up 16 percent to $89.6 billion, including a 19 percent increase in Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices.

Wednesday’s earnings follow a busy start to the year for Google. The company launched many AI features, including like Personal Intelligence for Gemini, task automation using Gemini on the Samsung S26 and Pixel 10 series phones, an “auto-browse” feature that lets Chrome perform multi-step tasks on your behalf, and an AI Mode for Gmail that infuses a whole lot of AI into your inbox. It launched the Pixel 10A, which we found to be a minimal update. Google also announced huge Google Play changes following Epic Games’ litigation and appealed the ruling that found the company to be an illegal online search monopolist.

Alphabet’s earnings beat revenue expectations, CNBC

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