The line between browsing the web and having an assistant manage it for you is officially blurring. Google has unveiled a major update to Chrome, deeply integrating its Gemini AI to transform the browser from a passive window into an active, helpful partner. Built on the Gemini 3 model, these features are designed to help users multitask, create, and automate complex tasks directly within their browser window.

A New Side Panel: Your Persistent Browsing Assistant

A cornerstone of the update is a new side panel experience that keeps Gemini accessible in any tab. This allows users to maintain focus on their primary tab while using the panel for auxiliary tasks. Early testers have used it to compare options across multiple websites, summarize lengthy product reviews, and manage complex scheduling, all without losing their place.

Creative Tools and Deeper App Connections

The update brings creative power directly into the browsing flow with Nano Banana, a tool that allows users to transform images on a webpage using simple text prompts—eliminating the need to download, edit, and re-upload files.

Furthermore, Connected Apps create bridges between Chrome and popular Google services like Gmail, Calendar, Maps, and Flights. This integration allows Gemini to pull context across apps to assist with multi-step tasks. For example, it can find event details in an old email, cross-reference flight options, and help draft a travel update for colleagues.

The Dawn of Agentic Browsing: Introducing Auto Browse

Perhaps the most significant shift is the introduction of auto browse, an agentic capability for Chrome Pro and Ultra subscribers. Moving beyond simple autofill, auto browse can handle multi-step, mundane online chores. It can research hotel and flight combinations to find the best travel dates, fill out forms using information from a PDF, manage subscriptions, or even gather quotes from service providers—all autonomously.

Notably, with user permission, it can utilize Google Password Manager to sign into sites as needed. For sensitive actions like completing a purchase, the system is designed to pause and request explicit user confirmation.

A Personalized and Secure Future

Looking ahead, Google plans to bring Personal Intelligence to Chrome in the coming months. This opt-in feature would allow the browser to remember conversation context to provide more tailored assistance, aiming to evolve Chrome from a general tool into a context-aware partner.

Underpinning these advancements is a focus on security and user control, with new defenses built against emerging online threats. Chrome will also support the new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard co-developed with major retailers, to ensure AI agents can perform commerce tasks seamlessly and reliably across the web.

This suite of updates marks a substantial step toward an "agentic web," where the browser is not just a gateway to information but an active participant in completing tasks and fueling productivity.