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Google is expanding access to its Gemini artificial intelligence assistant on Apple devices, beginning a gradual rollout that embeds Gemini directly into the Chrome browser on iPhones and iPads in the United States.
With the update, iOS users will be able to access Gemini without switching to Google’s standalone app or visiting the web. Instead, the AI assistant will be built natively into Chrome, bringing Apple users closer to the experience already available on Android and desktop versions of the browser.
Google first hinted at the Chrome-based Gemini integration in September and has been testing it with a limited group of users. The wider rollout is now underway, according to reports, though availability will expand incrementally rather than appearing for all users at once.
Once enabled, the familiar Google Lens icon beside the address bar is replaced with a Gemini spark icon. Tapping it opens a “Page tools” interface that allows users to either search the screen using Lens or interact directly with Gemini. The assistant can summarize webpages, generate frequently asked questions based on page content and related sources, simplify complex topics, test users’ understanding of a subject, or offer contextual recommendations. Responses appear as an overlay above the webpage, allowing users to continue browsing without leaving the page.
The feature currently works only in the US, requires Chrome to be set to English, and is available to signed-in users browsing outside of Incognito mode. Google has not provided a timeline for international availability.
The Gemini integration is most broadly supported in Chrome 143 for iOS, which also introduces additional updates. These include biometric authentication for faster online checkout without entering a CVC code, new tips surfaced on the browser’s new tab page, and general performance and stability improvements.
The move underscores Google’s broader push to make Gemini a default, in-context assistant across platforms and devices, as competition intensifies among AI providers to embed generative tools directly into everyday user workflows rather than standalone apps.
With the update, iOS users will be able to access Gemini without switching to Google’s standalone app or visiting the web. Instead, the AI assistant will be built natively into Chrome, bringing Apple users closer to the experience already available on Android and desktop versions of the browser.
Google first hinted at the Chrome-based Gemini integration in September and has been testing it with a limited group of users. The wider rollout is now underway, according to reports, though availability will expand incrementally rather than appearing for all users at once.
Once enabled, the familiar Google Lens icon beside the address bar is replaced with a Gemini spark icon. Tapping it opens a “Page tools” interface that allows users to either search the screen using Lens or interact directly with Gemini. The assistant can summarize webpages, generate frequently asked questions based on page content and related sources, simplify complex topics, test users’ understanding of a subject, or offer contextual recommendations. Responses appear as an overlay above the webpage, allowing users to continue browsing without leaving the page.
The feature currently works only in the US, requires Chrome to be set to English, and is available to signed-in users browsing outside of Incognito mode. Google has not provided a timeline for international availability.
The Gemini integration is most broadly supported in Chrome 143 for iOS, which also introduces additional updates. These include biometric authentication for faster online checkout without entering a CVC code, new tips surfaced on the browser’s new tab page, and general performance and stability improvements.
The move underscores Google’s broader push to make Gemini a default, in-context assistant across platforms and devices, as competition intensifies among AI providers to embed generative tools directly into everyday user workflows rather than standalone apps.
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