Google is bringing Gemini deeper into Chrome, rolling out a new persistent AI sidebar and early agent-like features designed to help users work across tabs, modify images, and eventually automate tasks while browsing.
The update, which begins arriving today, moves Gemini from a floating window into a dedicated sidebar that can answer questions about the page you’re viewing or other open tabs. Google also demonstrated how the assistant can treat related tabs as a single context group — a feature aimed at common workflows like comparing products or prices.
The company is expanding availability beyond Windows and macOS as well, with Gemini’s sidebar now coming to Chromebook Plus users.
Alongside the sidebar, Google is introducing a new “Nano Banana” integration that lets users edit an existing image using another image or product they find online. More broadly, the company is positioning Chrome as a place where AI tools can operate directly inside everyday browsing, rather than as separate standalone apps.
Google also confirmed that its recently launched “personal intelligence” capability — which connects Gemini to services like Gmail, Search, YouTube, and Google Photos — will arrive in Chrome in the coming months. That would allow users to ask questions based on their own data, such as checking schedules or drafting emails without switching apps.
The most ambitious addition is an agentic feature called “auto-browse,” which is designed to complete online tasks on a user’s behalf, such as shopping for an item or searching for discount coupons. Google said the system will still require user intervention for sensitive steps like logging in or completing a purchase, and earlier explanations suggested these features could rely on Chrome’s saved credentials without exposing details to AI models.
The rollout comes as a wave of AI-first browsers from companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, Opera, and The Browser Company have launched with similar promises of assistants and automated web tasks. Chrome’s scale gives Google a direct way to bring those capabilities into the mainstream — though browser-based agents remain unreliable in practice, often failing to navigate sites smoothly or interpret intent correctly.
Google said early testers have used auto-browse for scheduling appointments, filling out forms, collecting tax documents, gathering service quotes, and filing expense reports. For now, the feature is launching only for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S., while the Gemini sidebar and Nano Banana integration begin rolling out starting today.
This analysis is based on reporting from TechCrunch.
Image courtesy of Google.
This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.
