Here are all the new features Google recently announced that show how seriously the company is taking the threat of TikTok becoming Gen Z's search engine of choice

Google announced it's unveiling a "neighborhood vibe feature" that allows users to preview a neighborhood before visiting it using Google Maps. Google said it will help people see the most popular spots in a specific area "thanks to helpful photos and information from the Google Maps community right on the map." 

Even the use of the word "vibe" is notable in Google's announcement. It appears to be an attempt to use Gen Z vernacular to appeal to younger users. 

Google says it has added 250 landmarks to its "immersive view feature," which includes "photorealistic aerial views" of landmarks. Using historical data, the feature helps predict the weather, traffic, and how busy a certain area will be. 

Google says its research shows that 40% of people already have a dish in mind when searching for a restaurant. Google will now allow users to search for a specific dish and see which places offer it in people's local areas.

The tech giant takes food searching a step further, though. Users can also search images of food taken from social media and include a "near me" function for food suggestions. 

This feature allows users to hold up their cell phone cameras and search their surrounding area for anything from an ATM to grocery stores nearby. Google says the feature will start rolling out in some major cities in the coming months. 

Many of Google's announcements seem aimed to make the search process more visual and, in some ways, more entertaining. 

But there is still a big question as to whether the features will effectively win over young users. Many seem to take aim at TikTok's user-generated video content. Content creators often post popular videos on TikTok with lists of "favorite places in New York" or "the best places to visit in San Francisco," which include restaurants, shopping, and sightseeing suggestions. 

But Google's internal data shows that young people don't use TikTok as a search engine the same way they might use Google. On TikTok, they search for suggested places or activities and refer to comments on videos to check the results against the consensus of other users. 

What's clear is that many Gen Z users trust the videos they watch on TikTok, but it remains to be seen whether Google can similarly establish that trust with young users.