Chrome's AI Mode now reads tabs, pages, PDFs, and images side by side

Google is turning AI Mode from a search destination into a browser-native research workspace. In a Chrome and Search update dated Apr 16, 2026, the company says AI Mode in Chrome can now sit beside the page a user opens, keep the search context alive, and answer follow-up questions while the source page remains visible. The update is available now in the U.S., with expansion to more places planned later.

The core change is the side-by-side layout on Chrome desktop. When a user clicks a link from AI Mode, the webpage opens next to AI Mode instead of replacing the search flow. Google says the assistant can use context from the page and from across the web to answer follow-up questions. That changes the shape of web search: a result is no longer just a link to leave the answer page, but part of an ongoing session where the user can compare details, inspect the source, and ask for clarification without losing the thread.

Google is also letting AI Mode search across recent tabs. On Chrome desktop or mobile, users can tap the plus menu in the New Tab page search box, or the existing plus menu inside AI Mode, and add recent tabs to the query. The same input flow can mix tabs, images, and files such as PDFs. In practice, that means a student can bring lecture slides, notes, and papers into one question, or a shopper can compare several open product pages without manually copying details from each one.

The plus menu is becoming a broader launcher for AI Mode tools as well. Google says Canvas and image creation are accessible wherever the new plus menu appears in Chrome. That turns the browser into a place where search, page reading, file context, visual generation, and structured workspace features start to overlap. It also puts more pressure on Google to make source handling clear, because the assistant is now working with a larger mix of user-selected and web-derived context.

For publishers and websites, the side-by-side design is a notable compromise in the AI search debate. The user still sees the page, rather than only an abstracted answer, but AI Mode remains attached to the session and can mediate what the user notices next. For users, the near-term benefit is reduced tab switching. For Google, the larger play is keeping AI search inside Chrome itself, where open tabs, files, images, and browsing behavior can all become inputs to the next question.