The year 2025 saw a wave of new AI browsers from firms such as OpenAI, Perplexity, Opera, and The Browser Company, all designed to challenge Chrome by offering built-in sidebar assistants and automated functions. Now, Google is responding by integrating comparable AI capabilities into Chrome, which remains the dominant browser globally.

Although Google first introduced Gemini to Chrome in September of last year, the assistant initially appeared in a separate floating window. With this latest update, the company is moving its AI helper into a fixed sidebar, enabling users to ask questions directly about the webpage they are viewing or other open tabs. In a demonstration ahead of today’s launch, Google highlighted a useful feature involving multiple tabs: when you open several tabs from the same website, the Gemini sidebar recognizes them as a related context group. This is particularly handy for comparing prices or evaluating different products you might want to buy.

Previously, the Gemini in Chrome feature was limited to Windows and macOS users. Starting with this rollout, it will also become accessible to Chromebook Plus users. Google is additionally incorporating its recently launched personal intelligence feature, which links to your Gmail, Search, YouTube, and Google Photos accounts. This allows you to ask questions based on your personal data, such as checking your family’s schedule or drafting and sending an email without leaving Chrome. The integration is scheduled to arrive in the coming months.

Another addition is the new Nano Banana integration, which lets you modify an existing image with another image or product you come across while browsing. However, the most forward-looking feature is called auto-browse. This function aims to automate tasks on your behalf by using your personal information and navigating websites for you. For example, you could instruct the agent to visit a specific site, purchase an item, and even search for a discount coupon. The system will request your approval for sensitive actions like logging in or finalizing a purchase. Last year, Google clarified that these features would rely on Chrome’s password manager or saved payment details, while ensuring AI models do not have access to this sensitive information. Initially, auto-browse will be available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the United States.

Browser-based AI agents can be unpredictable and often struggle to complete tasks successfully. Google’s demonstration, similar to many other AI previews, focused on shopping and travel planning. In everyday use, such agents frequently misinterpret user intent or encounter errors while moving between sites, which could hinder broader adoption. According to the company, early testers have used the feature for scheduling appointments, filling out lengthy online forms, gathering tax documents, obtaining quotes from service providers, and submitting expense reports.

Google confirmed that the Gemini sidebar support and Nano Banana integration begin rolling out today, while the personal intelligence feature will follow in the coming months.