How to Use Gemini in Chrome

What is Gemini in Chrome, and how do you turn it on?

Gemini in Chrome is Google's built-in AI assistant, opted into through the browser's own settings rather than installed as a separate extension. Once it's on, an Ask Gemini button appears at the top of your browser.

1. Open Chrome and make sure you're signed in with a Google account.
2. Update Chrome to the latest version, since Gemini in Chrome requires a current release.
3. Click More (the three-dot menu), then Settings.
4. Under AI innovations, find Gemini in Chrome and opt in.
5. Look for the Ask Gemini button at the top of the browser once it's enabled.

This is separate from any third-party gemini chrome extension you might find in the Chrome Web Store. Those are independent projects built by other developers, not part of Chrome itself, and they work differently from the native feature described here.

How do you open and chat with Gemini while you browse?

Click Ask Gemini at the top of Chrome, then type your question in the box that opens.

You can ask Gemini to summarize the page you're on, explain something confusing, or answer a general question without leaving the tab you're reading. If a voice conversation opens by default, you can switch back to typing at any point by choosing Switch to text mode.

How do you go Live and talk to Gemini out loud?

Click Ask Gemini, then click Go Live in the text box to start a spoken conversation instead of typing.

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top of your browser, click Ask Gemini.
3. In the text box, click Go Live.
4. The first time, follow the on-screen instructions to set up Gemini Live.
5. Start talking — you can interrupt mid-response any time you want to add details or change the topic.

Once you're in a Live conversation, More options at the top of the window lets you turn live captions on or off, switch back to text mode, start a new chat, or change Gemini's voice.

What permissions does Gemini in Chrome need, and how do you manage them?

To go Live, Gemini needs permission to use page content and your device's microphone; you can review and change both from Chrome's settings.

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. Click More, then Settings.
3. In the Settings menu, click AI innovations, then Gemini in Chrome (click Menu first if it's hidden).
4. Under Permissions, turn on or off options like microphone access and whether your current tab is shared by default.

• Microphone and closed captions can't be turned on for accounts identified as under 18.
• Auto-browse, a feature that lets Gemini act across pages on your behalf, is also restricted for users under 18.
• Sharing your current tab by default is a separate toggle from the microphone permission, so you can allow voice without also sharing tab content, or the reverse.

Is Gemini in Chrome free, and where is it available?

The built-in Gemini in Chrome feature is available to opted-in Google accounts without a separate download or purchase, though exact availability by region, age, and account type can change over time.

Because rollout and eligibility shift, check Google's own Gemini in Chrome page for your current status rather than assuming access based on what a friend or another device has. If you don't see the Ask Gemini button after opting in under Settings > AI innovations, it may not have rolled out to your account yet.

Third-party gemini chrome extension options often work differently on cost: some are free to install but require you to supply your own Gemini API key from Google AI Studio, and note that a free-tier API key typically has daily usage limits and lower priority than a paid one.

What's the difference between Gemini in Chrome and a Gemini extension?

Gemini in Chrome is a native browser feature tied to your Google account with no extra setup beyond opting in. A gemini chrome extension is a separate install that adds its own sidebar or popup.

One example is the third-party Gemini Chat Sidebar extension, built as a sidebar similar to Copilot in Microsoft Edge. It lets you chat with Gemini, send the current page's content with one click, and continue the conversation based on what it finds — but it typically requires you to enter your own Gemini API key in its options menu before it works.

• Native Gemini in Chrome: no API key needed, tied to your Google account, opt in once through Settings.
• Third-party sidebar extensions: installed separately, often need your own API key, and free-tier keys can carry daily limits.
• Multi-model sidebars: some extensions, like Sider, let you chat with Gemini alongside other models like GPT and Claude from a single panel, instead of switching between separate tools.

If you just want quick AI help on the page you're reading, the built-in feature is the simpler option. If you want to compare answers from several AI models side by side, a sidebar extension like Sider covers that job better than the native feature does. For a wider look at AI tools for the browser, see our AI extensions category.

Which other extensions pair well with an AI workflow in Chrome?

Beyond a dedicated Gemini sidebar, a few general-purpose extensions make asking Gemini (or any AI) about a page easier.

Check what data any of these extensions can actually see on our permissions page, and see our methodology for how we choose what to recommend on this site.

How do you turn off or disable Gemini in Chrome?

Reverse the same setting you used to opt in: Settings > AI innovations > Gemini in Chrome, then turn it off.

You don't have to disable the whole feature just to remove one permission. If you're fine using text chat but don't want Gemini able to use your microphone, turn off the microphone toggle specifically under Permissions in that same settings screen, leaving the rest of the feature active.

If instead you installed a separate gemini chrome extension and want to remove that, go to chrome://extensions, find it, and click Remove — this is a completely separate step from anything in Chrome's own AI settings.

Why is Gemini in Chrome not showing up, or the sidebar missing?

Usually it's one of a small number of causes: you haven't opted in yet, your Chrome is outdated, or the feature hasn't reached your account.

• You haven't opted in under Settings > AI innovations > Gemini in Chrome yet.
• Chrome needs an update — an old version may not support the feature at all.
• The feature hasn't rolled out to your account, region, or age group yet, since Google phases these rollouts.
• You're signed out of your Google account, or signed into a profile that doesn't have Gemini enabled.
• You're on a managed or enterprise Chrome profile where an administrator has disabled the feature by policy.