Google has introduced major updates to its Gemini artificial intelligence in the Chrome browser for macOS and Windows. The new features are powered by Gemini 3, the company’s most intelligent model, and bring an entirely new way of working with the web. According to Parisa Tabriz, Vice President of Chrome, it is an assistant that helps users find information and complete tasks more easily than ever before.
The main new feature is a new side panel that allows users to keep the Gemini assistant by their side at all times, regardless of which tab they are currently working in. You can keep your primary work open in one tab while using the side panel to handle another task. Testers used it to compare options across dozens of tabs, summarize product reviews from different websites, or find available time slots in packed calendars.
Edit images directly in the browser
Chrome now offers the creative power of Nano Banana directly in the browser. All Gemini users in Chrome can transform images on the fly without having to download and re-upload them or open another tab. Simply type what you want to do in the side panel. The feature can be used, for example, to get creative inspiration for redesigning a living room or to turn research data into compelling infographics.
Integration with Google apps
Gemini in Chrome supports connected apps such as Gmail, Calendar, YouTube, Maps, Google Shopping, and Google Flights. These deeper integrations help users complete tasks quickly. For example, if you are traveling to a conference and need to book a flight, Gemini can find an old email with details about the event, use context from Google Flights to make a recommendation, and later draft an email to colleagues with your arrival time. These features can be enabled in the Connected Apps section of Gemini settings.
In the coming months, Google will bring Personal Intelligence (personal intelligence), which people value in the Gemini app, to Chrome. Chrome will remember context from past conversations, so you will receive uniquely personalized answers to anything you search for on the web. You can also add specific instructions for Gemini to get more relevant answers. You are always in control – you can opt in, choose whether to connect apps, and disconnect them at any time.
Safety and control first
Google built Gemini in Chrome with strict safety standards and introduced entirely new defense mechanisms to protect against emerging types of online threats. For greater control, auto browse is designed to pause and explicitly ask for confirmation or prompt users to complete certain tasks, such as making a purchase or posting on social media.
Chrome will also support Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a new open standard for commerce with AI agents developed jointly with industry leaders including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, and Target. This new open standard ensures that AI agents can seamlessly perform actions on a user’s behalf in Chrome.
Sources: blog.google and cnbc.com
