Gemini in Chrome landed on my Chromebook today, and it’s really impressive

For the past few months, we’ve been tracking the eventual arrival of Gemini directly in the Chrome browser for ChromeOS. While I knew it was coming, and I knew it would be handy, I don’t use a Windows or macOS machine on a daily basis (unless I absolutely have to), so I hadn’t really had a chance to play around with the full Gemini-in-Chrome experience; and it’s far more robust than I had initially given it credit for.

I assumed it would be a relatively basic experience with a simple chat window for basic on-page inquiries; but I was very wrong. This isn’t just a stripped-down version of Gemini in a Chrome sidebar; it’s practically the full experience, baked right into your browser, and it truly shines on a Chromebook.

Quick Access and Robust Features

Getting to Gemini is as simple as clicking the new little Gemini icon that now lives in the top window bar of your Chrome browser. It pops open a clean, intuitive sidebar interface, ready for your queries. But it’s really the addition of most of the Gemini web apps’ abilities that have come along for the ride that are most interesting:

• Model Switching: Right from that sidebar, you can easily switch between different Gemini models (like Gemini Fast, Thinking or Pro if you’re a subscriber). This isn’t a feature I expected to see in a browser-based integration, and it’s a welcome addition for those who need more power.
• Full Chat History: All your previous Gemini chats are accessible right there in the sidebar as well. No need to go to the Gemini website to pick up a conversation where you left off. This makes it incredibly convenient for ongoing projects or research.
• Pop-out Window: If you need more screen real estate, you can pop out the Gemini chat into its own floating window. This is perfect for multitasking, letting you keep Gemini open and accessible while you work in other tabs or apps without cluttering your main browser window.
• Gemini Live & Screen Sharing: This is the real kicker. I was genuinely surprised to find that the full Gemini Live experience (like we see on phones), including the ability to share your screen with Gemini for real-time assistance, is available here. This opens up a ton of possibilities for creative work, troubleshooting, or just getting quick explanations about what’s on your screen.

For now, I’m not seeing tools like Nano Banana, Lyria 3, or Veo 3 available for image, audio, or video creation. I’m not sure Google will put those tools into this iteration of Gemini, but I’d like to think that they could definitely show up down the road.

A game changer for Chromebooks

For Chromebook users, this integration feels particularly significant. We often champion the simplicity and efficiency of ChromeOS, and having such a powerful AI tool so seamlessly integrated into the browser workflow is a huge win. It means less friction, quicker answers, and a more intuitive way to leverage AI in your daily tasks without ever leaving your browser.

I’m genuinely impressed with how much of the Gemini experience Google has managed to pack into this Chrome integration. It feels native, powerful, and incredibly useful. If you’ve got a Chromebook, and Gemini is live for you, do yourself a favor and give it a try. You might just be as pleasantly surprised as I was.