Google’s new Chrome extension makes screen recording for Vids free and easy

Earlier this week, we covered the massive news that Google is opening up the AI-powered Google Vids editor to personal accounts for free. But getting access to the editor is only half the battle; you still need an easy way to get your content into the app.

Today, Google is solving that problem by launching the Google Vids Screen Recorder Chrome extension. This lightweight tool completely removes the friction of capturing your screen, allowing you to start a recording with a single click from your extensions toolbar without ever interrupting your current workflow.

How it transforms your workflow

If you’ve ever tried to record a quick bug report, a tutorial, or a presentation, you know the hassle of opening a dedicated recording app, selecting your screen, and managing the file afterward. This new extension streamlines that entire process:

• Record from anywhere: You no longer need to have Google Vids open in a tab. Whether you are looking at a spreadsheet, a website, or a PDF, you just click the extension icon to start capturing.
• Generous time limits: Unlike some free tiers of third-party recording tools that cap you at 5 minutes, Google is allowing recordings of up to 30 minutes in length. This is plenty of time for deep-dive tutorials or thorough walkthroughs.
• Seamless editing: Once you finish your recording, the extension allows you to preview the clip and seamlessly open it directly inside the Google Vids editor. From there, you can trim it, add AI voiceovers, or drop in Veo 3.1 generated B-roll.

Available for everyone

The best part of this announcement is the availability. Google explicitly stated that this extension is available at no additional cost to both Google Workspace customers and anyone with a personal Google account.

If you are a Workspace Admin, you can even force-install the extension and auto-pin it to your team’s Chrome toolbar via the Admin console to get everyone up and running immediately. If you want to speed up your video creation process, you can grab the extension right now from the Chrome Web Store.