Google has begun rolling out new Gemini-powered tools to its Chrome browser, starting today with a sidebar interface available to all Gemini in Chrome users. The sidebar enables users to chat with Gemini and maintain conversations across multiple tabs. Google states that testers have used it for tasks such as comparing options across numerous tabs, summarizing product reviews from different sites, and identifying time slots for events in crowded calendars. “Our testers have been using it for all sorts of things: comparing options across too‑many tabs, summarizing product reviews across different sites, and helping find time for events in even the most chaotic of calendars,” the company writes.
The sidebar also provides access to Nano Banana, Google’s in-house image generator, now integrated directly into Chrome following its rollout in the Gemini app. Users can generate AI images or edit existing ones without opening a new tab or handling file downloads and uploads. These functions work from any open tab via the sidebar.
Chrome’s Gemini already includes support for Connected Apps, which allows the assistant to access data from Gmail, Calendar, and other Google services. In a press briefing demo, a Google employee asked Gemini to retrieve the dates for their children’s March break. The assistant located the information from the employee’s email inbox without specific instructions on where to search.
Google plans to introduce Personal Intelligence to Chrome in the coming months. This feature, which debuted in the Gemini app at the start of January, will enable the browser to retain details from previous Gemini conversations. The company describes it as turning Chrome into “a trusted partner that understands you and provides relevant, proactive, and context‑aware assistance.” “Personal Intelligence in Chrome transforms the browsing experience from a general purpose tool into a trusted partner that understands you and provides relevant, proactive, and context‑aware assistance,” Google said.
Additionally, Google is previewing an auto-browse feature in Chrome. In a demo, an employee instructed Gemini to find and purchase the same winter jacket bought a few seasons earlier. Gemini first created a plan, starting with a search of the employee’s email inbox to confirm the jacket’s model and size. It then proceeded to shop online. During this process, the employee continued browsing in Chrome uninterrupted. Gemini paused at key steps to seek permission, including for login credentials and credit card details to finalize the purchase.
Google positions the auto-browse feature for users with routine tasks, such as weekly produce orders from a grocery delivery service, where Gemini could handle the ordering automatically. The demo indicated that the process takes longer than manual execution, consistent with its preview status and slower pace for early testers. Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US can access the auto-browse preview starting today.
These updates follow Google’s recent AI enhancements to Gmail and represent an expansion of Gemini capabilities within Chrome, with further features expected over the next few months.
