Post: Google now lets you explore the web side-by-side with AI Mode

Google now lets you explore the web side-by-side with AI Mode

Google announced Thursday that it’s introducing a new way to explore the web with AI Mode, its interactive search experience. Now, when you are using AI mode on Chrome desktop, clicking on a link will open the web page with AI mode.

The tech giant says the goal is to make it easier to find relevant websites, compare details, and ask follow-up questions while preserving the context of your search.

For example, if you want to buy a new coffee maker, you can specify what you’re looking for in AI mode and get a range of options. Once you click on one, you can open the retailer’s website alongside the AI ​​mode and ask specific questions, like “How easy is it to clean?” AI mode will then use context from the page and the entire web to answer your questions.

Screenshot 2026 04 16 at 11.33.49 AM
Image credit:Google /

“Our early testers loved that they didn’t have to constantly switch tabs to get help for a comprehensive article or long video,” Google explained in a blog post. “And they found that having both search and the Web side by side helped them stay focused on their tasks while searching for useful Web pages.”

Google also announced a new way to search in Chrome tabs you’re already viewing.

On Chrome desktop or mobile, you can tap the search box on the “New Tabs” page or the new “Plus” menu in AI mode, then select Recent Tabs to add to your search. This means you can mix and match multiple tabs, images or files and bring that context to your AI mode searches.

For example, if you’re researching local hiking trails and you already have a few tabs open, you can add them to your search and ask for similar trails in another location. Or, if you’re studying for a statistics exam, you can take context from open tabs, class notes, lecture slides, and more to call for examples to illustrate a concept.

TechCrunch event

San Francisco, CA
|
October 13-15, 2026

The new AI Mode updates are available now in the U.S. Google plans to roll them out to additional regions in the future.