We're all busy these days -- I'll jump at any chance to simplify my workflow. One way to do so is to have quick and easy access to your favorite AI services within a browser, as you're more likely use them efficiently and effectively.
If you're a Chrome user who also enjoys leveraging AI, you might be wondering why Google hasn't better integrated Gemini into its browser. After all, Opera makes using Aria incredibly simple, Microsoft has Copilot front and center, and I'm sure Apple will make it easy to use AI in the next iteration of Safari.
As a writer, I need fast access to information. I don't want to open yet another tab (which can clutter my laptop), go to the Gemini website, type my query, and wait for the results. If I can remove even one of those steps, I'm ahead of the game.
The good news is that there's a way to make using Gemini in Chrome much easier. Once I enabled this little trick, using the AI assistant became as simple as running a standard Google search.
Here's how it's done.
What you'll need: To make this work, you'll need an updated version of Chrome installed on your desktop (Linux, MacOS, or Windows). The feature doesn't work on the mobile version of the browser (and probably won't, since Gemini is baked into Android).
Start by opening Google Chrome. Then click the three-dot menu button in the upper right corner and hit Settings.
On the left sidebar, click "Search engine" and, on the resulting page, click "Manage search engines and site search."
Accessing the Site Search settings in Google Chrome.
Near the bottom of the resulting page, locate the Gemini entry and click Activate. This will move the entry into the "Site search" section. Gemini is now ready to be used.
But how?
You can activate all the Site Searches you need from here.
Using Gemini in Chrome isn't quite as obvious as it is in other browsers. This is because the steps we've taken have added Gemini as a site-search location. Site Search on Google means you can select from several pre-configured sites or add your own.
Once a site is added, just use the @ symbol in the address bar.
You can even add ZDNET as a Site Search in Chrome.
To use the Site Search feature with Gemini, click the address bar and type in "@gemini". Hit the space button on your keyboard, and you'll see the Address bar change to "Chat with Gemini."
Type your prompt and then hit Enter. This will open the Gemini site with the results of your query.
Send your query, and the Gemini app page will open with the results.
That's all there is to using Gemini in Chrome. While it's not quite as simple as Opera's Aria, this is the best, most efficient method of interacting with Google's AI to date, if Gemini is your go-to AI service and Chrome is your browser.