Gemini and Chrome are the productivity duo I didn't know I needed

I cover Android with a focus on productivity, automation, and Google’s ecosystem, including Gemini and everyday apps. With a background in engineering and software development, I tend to go beyond surface-level tips.
Before joining AP, I wrote for tech publications such as Gizbot in 2023 and iJunkie (formerly known as iPhoneHacks) from 2021 to 2022.

I have used Google Chrome and Gemini many times, but I never thought of them as a productivity team. I typically browsed in Chrome and opened Gemini only when I needed help with a question.

However, my perspective changed when I started using Gemini directly within Chrome.

Using it to summarize information, compare content across tabs, and help me with tasks without constantly switching between apps made the two tools feel surprisingly well-suited for each other.

I also use Gemini with Google Workspace apps on my desktop, so having it alongside Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar, and other tools I already use makes the whole setup feel more connected.

After I started using Chrome and Gemini together, going back to the old way felt unnecessarily tedious.

Gemini is just a click away in Chrome

I can ask Gemini without leaving the page

The feature that really brings the two apps together is Ask Gemini, which puts Gemini inside Chrome instead of making me open a separate tab and switch back and forth.

On the desktop, you may have to click the Ask Gemini icon and opt in the first time you use it. That opens Gemini in a side panel, and you can type a question or request.

By default, Gemini uses the content from the web page you're currently viewing to formulate the answer.

If I'm reading a long article, I can ask Gemini to summarize the important points. I can also ask it to explain a concept in simpler terms if I've come across something I don't understand.

I keep the side panel open while browsing, and I pop the conversation out if I want more space.

Ask Gemini isn't limited to the one page I'm looking at. I can also give it access to multiple open tabs and ask it to connect the information across them, which is where I've found it handy for research.

My pile of Chrome tabs finally became useful

It can make sense of those never-ending tabs

Using Gemini in Chrome across multiple tabs at once is more useful than summarizing a single web page, especially when I am researching something and have several sources open.

For example, say I am trying to understand silicon-carbon battery technology. I might have some news articles open alongside a research paper, a manufacturer's explanation of the technology, and perhaps a technical explainer.

Instead of reading each source separately and trying to remember how everything fits together, I can give Gemini access to those tabs and ask it to help me make sense of them.

Gemini in Chrome can work across up to 10 recent open tabs. To use it, click Ask Gemini at the top of Chrome, click the plus icon in the prompt box, and select More recent tabs.

You can also type @ in the prompt and select a specific open tab.

It isn't limited to technical research. If I'm planning a trip, I could open tabs for flights, hotels, things to do, and travel guides, and ask Gemini to pull the useful information together.

Gemini in Chrome connects the dots across my Google apps

Everything works together now

One thing I like about Gemini in Chrome is that I don't have to ask about the web page I'm viewing. I could be researching something, reading an article, or working on a completely unrelated task when I remember an email I need to check or a note I saved in Keep.

After connecting my Google Workspace apps, I use Ask Gemini to pull information from services I use, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Drive, Keep, and Tasks.

For example, I could ask Gemini to find the email about an upcoming meeting in Gmail, check my Calendar for when I'm free, and then help me work out when to schedule it.

While I'm working in Chrome, I can click Ask Gemini at the top of the browser and type the following prompt:

Find the email about the meeting with Natasha next week, check my Calendar for my availability, and suggest three 30-minute time slots when I’m free.

Or, if I have project notes saved in Keep, I can ask Gemini to find those notes while I'm working on something else in Chrome.

I can also use prompts that combine information from different Workspace apps. Say I'm planning a trip and have the booking details in Gmail, some ideas saved in Keep, and dates marked on my Calendar.

Instead of opening each app and searching through them individually, I can ask Gemini to pull the relevant information together.

Chrome and Gemini make a surprisingly good team

Gemini completely changed how I use Chrome. I was already spending most of my day in the browser, so having Gemini there to help with what I'm reading, the tabs I have open, and the Google apps I use on my desktop has been surprisingly handy.

When I'm researching something or jumping between Gmail, Keep, Calendar, and Chrome, having Gemini there saves me a fair amount of back-and-forth.