Google Chrome no longer needs you, as Gemini takes the driving seat

Google has been integrating Gemini across all of its products. In this month alone, we learned that the AI model can now schedule meeting slots on your behalf in Google Calendar, intelligently comb through your Drive and Photos, and leverage the model for multiple use-cases in Gmail. Now, Google has announced that it is making Gemini a core part of your browsing experience in its flagship product.

For starters, there is a new side panel experience in Chrome so that they can use Gemini without constantly needing to switch between different contexts. In related news, Nano Banana is being made available directly in Chrome, also accessible through the side panel so that images can be generated and transformed using natural language prompts.

Gemini also supports Connected Apps like Gmail, Calendar, YouTube, Maps, Google Shopping and Google Flights in Chrome. You can leverage these integrations if you enable them through the Connected Apps section of Gemini Settings.

But perhaps more important are the enhancements being made in Chrome itself. Personal Intelligence powered by Gemini is coming to Chrome on macOS, Windows, and Chromebook Plus to give you a more personalized, "proactive" experience in the browser. Through this technology, Chrome will remember context from past conversations so that it can give you more personalized answers tailored to your needs.

Finally, Chrome is becoming an agentic browser through "Chrome auto browse", which handles multi-step workflows on your behalf. This includes researching hotels and making hospitality and flight reservations, scheduling appointments, filing tax reports, and assisting in renewing driver licenses. What's even more interesting is that if you give permission Chrome to auto browse, it will even leverage your authentication credentials where sign-in is required. Chrome auto browse for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S.

Of course, some people will naturally have privacy concerns around this implementation. However, Google has assured customers that Chrome auto browse has been designed with security in mind. The Gemini-powered technology will always ask for your consent before it makes purchases or posts on social media on your behalf.

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Posted Thursday 29 January 2026 at 5:55 pm AEST (my time).

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