It seems wherever human discomfort lingers, a company’s ready with a solution. In the past, these solutions were offered in packaged products, services, and tools. But now you just say your problem out loud, AI listens and the software responds. The fix is ready before you finish your sentence. Take shopping, everyone loves it until they try on a room. Squeezing into bad lighting, weird mirrors, and wrong sizes. It’s not fun, but people have to tolerate it. Now, Google has stepped forward with a clever answer: its new app, Doppl.
On June 26th, Google announced the launch of Doppl, a new AI-powered app designed to take the “trying” out of trying on clothes. The app lets users virtually dress themselves without ever setting foot in a store. Currently, it’s available for iOS and Android users in the United States only. No word yet on the global rollout. It’s in testing waters for now.
Doppl is like a simulator. You upload your photo, then add an image or screenshot of any outfit. You can take clothes from stores, from Instagram, or from your roommate’s closet, it doesn’t matter. The app then generates a visual of you wearing that outfit. But Doppl doesn’t stop at still images. It takes the static fit-check and turns it into a short video. Your avatar moves, walks, and brings your imagination into reality.
It’s not runway-level, yet, but it’s close enough to feel personal. You can save your favorite looks, scroll back through past outfits, and even share them with others. According to Google, Doppl is an evolution of its earlier virtual try-on feature in Google Shopping. But instead of burying it inside another app, they gave it its spotlight. This is not just about convenience, but turning personal styling into an experience.
But… is this what we needed solved first? Let’s pause for a second and think. Sure Doppl is a clever problem-solving app. But the question nags: Is this the kind of convenience humanity needs right now? While some tech giants are building AI to help us shop smarter, others argue we’re sidestepping the real work. What about ecosystem restoration, mass reskilling for automation, or waste management? All much harder problems. Doppl, like many new AI tools, fits into a growing pattern of reducing human friction, one micro-discomfort at a time. It’s not wrong, but it’s not neutral either. The coming months will reveal Doppl’s actual value. Will it truly change how we shop and style? Or just add another clever layer to the endless scroll of consumer tech? Either way, Google’s made its move.
