The New Era of Browsing: Google Chrome Introduces Gemini 3 & “Auto Browse”
Google has announced a major evolution for its Chrome browser, integrating the newly released Gemini 3 model to transform the web experience. The update introduces “agentic” capabilities, allowing the browser to not just find information, but to actively complete multi-step tasks on your behalf.
1. Chrome “Auto Browse”: Your Personal Web Agent
The standout feature is Auto Browse, a powerful agentic experience currently rolling out in the U.S. for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. It moves beyond simple autofill to handle complex, multi-step “chores”:
Logistics & Chores: It can research travel costs across multiple dates, schedule appointments, fill out long online forms, and even renew driving licenses.
Workflow Integration: It can check if bills are paid, file expense reports, and manage digital subscriptions.
Multimodal Shopping: For example, it can identify items from a single era-specific photo (like a Y2K theme), search for matching products across the web, apply discount codes, and add them to your cart.
Security & Consent: Auto Browse is designed to keep the user “in the loop,” pausing to ask for explicit confirmation before completing sensitive actions like final purchases or posting on social media.
2. Multitasking with the New Side Panel
Chrome is launching a dedicated Gemini side panel that stays active regardless of which tab you are on. This reimagined multitasking experience allows you to:
Summarize long research papers or product reviews from different sites.
Compare options across dozens of open tabs without switching back and forth.
Find available time slots for events by referencing your chaotic calendar in real-time.
3. Creative Power with “Nano Banana”
The creative capabilities of Nano Banana (Google’s latest image-generation tool) are now built directly into Chrome.
Users can transform images on the fly—such as turning research data into infographics or getting redesign inspiration for a room—simply by typing a prompt into the Gemini side panel. This eliminates the need to download or re-upload files to separate tools.
4. Deep Integration with Google Connected Apps
Gemini in Chrome now bridges the gap between the web and your personal Google tools:
It can retrieve travel details from an old Gmail thread, cross-reference them with current Google Flights data to offer recommendations, and automatically draft an arrival email for colleagues.
Integrations include YouTube, Maps, Shopping, and Calendar, all manageable via the Connected Apps section in settings.
5. Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)
Google has co-developed the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard with industry giants like Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, and Target. This ensures that Gemini agents can interact seamlessly with diverse e-commerce platforms to take actions on a user’s behalf.
6. Personal Intelligence (Coming Soon)
In the coming months, Google will bring Personal Intelligence to Chrome. This feature remembers the context of past conversations to provide uniquely tailored assistance while giving users full control to opt-in or disconnect apps at any time.