Google image search experiment

[u/johnmcboston]

Different annoying behavior in google image search is apparently for my convenience. sigh. Rather then opening images in a right-side window, it's a floting window covering all the other images

just ranting.

AI says:

What you are experiencing is a Google Live Experiment, a server-side user interface test where Google temporarily changes layouts for random users to gather data. Instead of opening the preview in the classic docked side panel introduced years ago, this experiment forces the selected image into a large overlay or centered floating window that blocks the surrounding grid.

Because this is a server-side change tied directly to your account, there is no official setting or button to disable it.