Useful new AI features are coming to Google’s Chrome browser

Over the last few years, Google has been using AI to enhance the browsing experience in Chrome, making it faster, safer, and more helpful. Now, three new AI features are being introduced to make searching, comparing products, and rediscovering sites easier than ever before.

Search What You See with Google Lens

Google Lens, which has already made searching by image easier on mobile devices, is now rolling out to Chrome on the desktop. This means users can easily select, search, and ask questions about anything they see on the web without leaving their current tab.

We showcased this in action already this week (in the Beta Channel), but this tool is going to be very helpful in a ton of different ways. By selecting the Google Lens icon in the address bar, users can click or drag over any element on a webpage to search for visual matches and get results in a side panel. The search can be further refined using multisearch or by asking follow-up questions.

Compare Products Across Tabs with Tab Compare

Online shopping often involves jumping between multiple tabs to compare products, which can be cumbersome. Chrome’s new Tab Compare feature aims to simplify this process by presenting an AI-generated overview of products from different tabs in one place. This overview includes essential details such as product specs, features, price, and ratings, making it easier for users to make informed decisions without the hassle of tab switching. Tab Compare will be rolling out in the next few weeks, starting in the US first.

Rediscover Your Browsing History

Chrome is making it easier to rediscover previously visited sites through a more natural and conversational search experience. Users can now access their history and type in queries like, “What was that ice cream shop I looked at last week?” to find relevant pages from their browsing history. This feature is completely opt-in and can be turned on or off in settings. It also excludes any browsing data from incognito mode.

Like Tab Compare, AI-powered history search will be rolling out in the coming weeks in the US first. Google says this opt-in feature will be using Google’s cloud-based Gemini models for now, with the potential for things to move to a localized model down the road. They also added that this model will be trained on synthetic browsing data, not your specific, individual browsing history.

With these new AI-powered features, Google Chrome aims to make browsing even more helpful and efficient, giving users the tools to quickly find the information they need and complete tasks with ease. Hopefully we’ll see the Lens update rolling out later today!