I still remember the first time a browser felt like less of a tool and more like a teammate. Last week, after updating Chrome, Gemini 3 quietly appeared in my sidebar and changed the way I bounce between tasks. This outline walks through that experience—practical wins, odd curiosities, and what I suspect is the start of the 'agentic web.'
Sidebar-first browsing: the Gemini sidebar (Side panel)
I keep the Gemini sidebar open in Chrome’s Side panel, so I don’t juggle tabs. This Chrome sidebar stays persistent across tabs, which helps my research keep its context. I’ve used it to compare product reviews, summarize long threads, and juggle Calendar while checking flights in another tab—faster task-switching with smoother Gemini integration across Gmail, Maps, and Google Flights (U.S. rollout on macOS, Windows, and Chromebook Plus).
"Making Gemini accessible across tabs is about giving users a tool that stays in the flow." — Chrome Product Team
It feels like a sticky notepad, though it sometimes suggests too many follow-ups, so I turned some prompts off.
Nano Banana: instant in-browser image editing (Image editing)
With Gemini 3 and tighter Gemini integration in Chrome, Nano Banana turns the side panel into fast Image editing. I described a room makeover and watched the image update in seconds—no uploads, downloads, or new tabs. It feels like a lightweight studio sitting beside any page.
- Quick mockups, product variant previews, and infographic drafts from screenshots
- I tested color swaps, object removal, and simple layout changes—results were refreshingly fast
"Nano Banana lets people make creative edits without breaking their flow." — Chrome Design Lead
For complex edits, I still reach for dedicated tools, but Nano Banana shines for quick iterations.
Connected Apps: cross-service fluency (Connected Apps)
With Connected Apps, my Chrome integration feels fluid: I let Gemini pull details from old Gmail threads while I checked flight options—smooth handoff. This Gemini integration links key Google apps like Gmail, Calendar, YouTube, Maps, Google Shopping, and Google Flights, so multi-step tasks stay in one flow.
I manage access in Gemini Settings → Connected Apps, where each app is listed and easy to disconnect. One practical win: after Gemini matched flights with my calendar, it drafted a team trip note for me.
"Connected Apps are about making context portable—so the assistant can help without breaking my workflow." — Product Manager, Google Workspace
Permission prompts can feel frequent, but I prefer the control.
Auto Browse 2: agentic automation preview (Auto browse)
Auto browse 2 is Chrome’s preview of Agentic capabilities: it can run multi-step flows like travel research, form filling, shopping, tax doc collection, subscription management, and license renewals. I watched an Auto Browse demo plan a Y2K-themed party—scan photos for ideas, find items across sites, add to carts, and stay on budget.
Right now, Auto browse is limited to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S., with a broader rollout expected. With my permission, it can use Google Password Manager for sign-ins, but it pauses for confirmation before purchases or social posts.
“Auto Browse marks a shift from suggestions to delegated actions—still with user consent at each risky step.” — Lead Engineer, Google AI
Personal Intelligence: the context-aware assistant (Personal Intelligence)
Personal Intelligence is coming to Chrome after success in the Gemini app, and it should make Gemini integration feel truly personal. I can opt in to store contextual history, then add instructions so the assistant matches my style and priorities. With Chrome integration and Connected Apps, I can connect or disconnect Gmail, Calendar, and more to control how much context it uses.
- Proactive travel reminders pulled from past emails
- Condensed meeting briefs based on my calendar history
"Personal Intelligence aims to make the assistant feel more like a reliable colleague than a generic tool." — Head of Product, Gemini
I like the promise of agentic features, but I’ll watch permissions and data hygiene closely.
Security, consent, and Universal Commerce (Security features / Universal Commerce)
Gemini in Chrome ships with Security features aimed at new threats, and I notice the guardrails most in Auto Browse. It pauses and asks for explicit confirmation before purchases or social posts, so I keep the final say. With my permission, it can use Google Password Manager to sign in during automated steps without me retyping credentials.
For shopping, Chrome plans to support the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard co-developed with Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, and Target to enable secure agentic commerce.
“Open standards like UCP are vital so agents can transact on behalf of users securely.” — Director of Partnerships, Google Commerce
Real-world use cases and small experiments (Agentic features / Use cases)
I’m testing Gemini 3 in Chrome’s side panel for quick, Agentic features that cut repetitive work. I used it to list tax document requirements from old emails—saving hours. In a demo, Auto browse handled Autonomous tasks like appointment scheduling across multiple sites, then paused for my confirmation on sensitive steps. For shopping, it curated items, added them to carts, and applied discount codes. Creators can turn research screenshots into infographics with Nano Banana without leaving Chrome. Device parity is strong on macOS, Windows, and Chromebook Plus, but preview access is mostly U.S. AI Pro/Ultra.
"We're seeing early tests where Auto Browse saves hours on repetitive workflows." — Analyst, TechCrunch
Wild cards, concerns, and future whims (Agentic web reflections)
My favorite wild card is imagining Agentic AI in Chrome planning a surprise party end to end—cute, but risky if it guesses wrong. “The agentic web raises as many design questions as it does productivity wins.”
“The agentic web raises as many design questions as it does productivity wins.” — Researcher, The Rundown.ai
I’m watching for permission creep, so I treat every new Agentic features toggle as a Privacy intervention moment and keep a simple checklist. I also wonder if Nano Banana could push a Y2K look across an entire album. UCP and regulators will shape agentic commerce, while Project Genie and Google AI Plus speed the roadmap. Sometimes proactive prompts feel like an eager co-worker, so I tune settings.
