Chrome adds side‑by‑side AI search mode

Google is adding a side-by-side version of AI Mode in Chrome desktop, so opening a result keeps the AI search view visible instead of replacing it. (blog.google) Google said the update lets people click a link from AI Mode and see the webpage next to the AI panel, making it easier to compare sources and ask follow-up questions without losing the original search context. The company published the announcement on April 16, 2026. (blog.google) Chrome’s help pages say AI Mode in Chrome can run in a side panel or a full tab view, and the feature is not available to everyone or every device yet. Google also said the rollout is gradually expanding beyond the United States and beyond English. (support.google.com) AI Mode is Google’s conversational search product: users type a longer question, get an AI-generated response, and continue with follow-up prompts instead of starting over with a new query. Google said the system breaks a question into subtopics and issues multiple searches at once to pull together an answer with links to the web. (blog.google) That setup puts Chrome closer to a research workspace than a standard browser tab. Google’s example for the new layout is shopping for a coffee maker with specific size and latte-making requirements, then checking product pages while keeping the AI thread open. (blog.google) Google has been moving Chrome in this direction for months. In September 2025, the company said AI Mode would roll out in the Chrome address bar in the United States, and it described Gemini in Chrome as a tool for understanding information across tabs. (blog.google) The current help documentation ties the side-by-side view to another use case: asking AI Mode about open tabs or files already in the browser. Google says users can chat about those materials inside the side panel, which extends the feature beyond web search into document and tab analysis. (support.google.com) Google is also still labeling AI Mode as an evolving product. Its Search help page says the tool can make mistakes, and Labs continues to offer experimental AI Mode features before broader release. (support.google.com, labs.google.com) The immediate change is simple: Chrome now keeps the question on screen while you inspect the answers. That turns AI Mode from a destination page into a persistent panel for people doing multi-step searches. (blog.google)