Google AI Mode in Chrome Adds Side-by-Side Browsing

Google added a side-by-side browsing experience to AI Mode in Chrome on April 16. The feature puts a web page and the AI assistant next to each other in the same tab, plus a new plus menu that lets users add tabs, images, and files as context for the assistant.

The interaction model is a small thing with outsized consequences. Previously, asking Gemini about a page meant either pasting content into a separate chat or using Chrome’s sidebar. Side-by-side changes the cognitive overhead. The page and the assistant share the same visual frame, so the user doesn’t lose context when switching between them. It’s the kind of interface decision that looks obvious in retrospect and didn’t exist six months ago.

For publishers, the implication is tangible. Users now keep the page open while asking Gemini to summarize or rewrite its content. Time-on-page goes up and the assistant gets more context to cite from. Both are mild positives for the publisher, assuming the page is structured well enough for Gemini to extract from cleanly in the first place.

Sources: TechCrunch, April 16, 2026. Search Engine Journal, April 16, 2026.