Chrome is leveling up AI mode with split-screen view and local tab search

At a glance:

• AI mode now opens source links in a split‑screen pane so you can read results and references side‑by‑side.
• A new “plus” button lets you attach recent Chrome tabs to the AI prompt, similar to attaching files.
• The updates, including tighter links to Canvas and Nano Banana, begin rolling out today for US users on all platforms.

What’s new in AI mode

Google is expanding the capabilities of Chrome’s AI mode, the conversational assistant that lives in the browser’s search bar. The latest upgrade adds a split‑screen view that automatically displays any link referenced by the AI alongside the original response. This eliminates the need to jump back and forth between tabs, letting users keep the AI’s answer in view while they explore supporting articles, documentation, or product pages.

The change is more than a visual tweak; it reshapes the interaction model. Users can now click a link in the AI’s answer and watch the referenced page load in an adjacent pane, while the conversation continues uninterrupted. The AI remains active in its own pane, so you can ask follow‑up questions that incorporate the newly opened content without losing context.

How split‑screen changes workflow

Before the update, a typical workflow involved reading the AI’s answer, clicking a result, and then switching back to the original tab to continue the dialogue. That back‑and‑forth was especially cumbersome for research‑heavy tasks such as troubleshooting code, comparing product specs, or gathering market data. With split‑screen, the browser keeps both the AI’s narrative and the source material visible at the same time, mirroring the dual‑monitor setups many power users already rely on.

Early testers report that the side‑by‑side layout reduces cognitive load and speeds up decision‑making. Because the AI can reference the content displayed in the adjacent pane, it can provide more precise follow‑ups, such as summarizing a table or extracting a key quote without you having to copy‑paste manually.

Tab attachment feature

In addition to split‑screen, Chrome now lets you attach recent tabs to an AI prompt. By clicking the newly added “plus” button in the main search bar, you can select any open tab—just as you would attach a file or image. The AI ingests the tab’s URL and, where possible, its visible content, giving it immediate context about the topic you’re already researching.

This capability is useful for deep‑dive projects. For example, if you have a spreadsheet open in one tab and a product spec sheet in another, you can attach both and ask the AI to compare pricing models, generate a summary, or even draft a short report. The feature works across all Chrome platforms, from desktop to Android, ensuring a consistent experience regardless of device.

Integration with creative tools

Google is also surfacing its creative experiments—Canvas and Nano Banana—directly from the AI mode UI. The “plus” button now offers shortcuts to launch these tools, letting users generate images or edit graphics without leaving the conversation. Canvas is positioned as a lightweight drawing canvas, while Nano Banana is an AI‑powered image generator that produces visuals from textual prompts.

By embedding these tools, Google blurs the line between conversational assistance and creative production. Users can, for instance, ask the AI for a concept sketch, click the Canvas shortcut, and refine the output in real time, all within the same browser window.

Rollout details

The split‑screen view, tab‑attachment ability, and tighter Canvas/Nano Banana integration are being rolled out today to all Chrome users in the United States. The update is available across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS versions of Chrome. Google has indicated that the features will be gradually enabled for other regions in the coming weeks, following the standard staged‑rollout pattern.

Existing AI mode users do not need to take any action; the new UI elements appear automatically the next time they open a new tab and click the AI button. Users on older Chrome versions may receive a prompt to update the browser to access the full feature set.

What it means for users

Together, these enhancements make Chrome’s AI mode a more powerful research assistant and creative partner. The split‑screen layout reduces tab‑switching friction, while tab attachment accelerates context building. For power users, the integration with Canvas and Nano Banana opens a seamless path from idea generation to visual prototyping.

From a broader perspective, Google’s push signals its ambition to make AI an integral part of everyday browsing, competing directly with emerging AI‑enhanced browsers and extensions. As the features mature, we can expect further refinements such as deeper content parsing, richer multimodal inputs, and possibly tighter ties to Google’s cloud AI services.