How to Use AI Mode in Chrome with Tabs, Images, and PDFs

AI Mode in Chrome lets you ask a detailed search question, open supporting web pages alongside the AI response, and add context from selected tabs, images, or files such as PDFs. The feature can reduce tab switching, but its answers still need source checking and its availability varies by country, account, device, language, and administrator settings.

Check whether AI Mode is available

Update Chrome and sign in if the interface requires it. On the New Tab page or in the address bar, look for AI Mode or the plus menu. Google is rolling out these capabilities over time, so two users on the same Chrome version may not see identical controls.

Google's current Chrome search instructions list the inputs available on supported devices.

Browse a source beside the AI response

Start an AI Mode search with a specific question. When you open a cited result in the supported layout, the page can appear beside the AI interface so you can read the source without losing the original query and follow-up conversation.

Use the arrangement to compare the answer with the page itself. Check whether the cited passage actually supports the claim, whether the information is current, and whether another primary source is needed.

Example: compare a product without hiding the trade-offs

Describe measurable requirements such as dimensions, power, capacity, warranty, and budget. Open the manufacturer or retailer page and ask a narrow follow-up. Do not rely on the AI to infer missing specifications, total cost, stock, return terms, or compatibility; verify those on the seller and manufacturer pages.

Ask questions while learning or researching

With a source open, ask the AI to explain terminology, identify the main argument, or compare the page with another selected source. A productive follow-up asks for evidence: “Which passage supports that explanation?” or “Show where these two sources disagree.”

AI assistance can make a difficult page easier to approach, but it should not replace reading the source. For academic, legal, medical, financial, or safety-critical work, use authoritative references and inspect the original wording.

Add multiple tabs, images, or files

Open the plus menu in AI Mode or the New Tab search box. Depending on the device, you may be able to add the current tab, several recent tabs, an image, a camera view, or a PDF file. Only the items you select should be treated as context for that query.

Multi-tab context is useful for tasks such as comparing documentation, finding common requirements across product pages, or explaining a concept from lecture slides and notes. Keep the request bounded and name the output you need—for example, a comparison table with one row per source and a column for missing information.

Use Canvas and other AI Mode tools

Where available, Canvas can organize a plan or project across follow-up searches. Image-generation controls may also appear in the same input menu. These tools are separate from evidence-based web research: generated plans and images should not be mistaken for verified source material.

Privacy and account controls

• Adding a tab or file shares its content with the AI feature for the request.
• Do not add private customer data, unpublished work, passwords, medical records, or confidential documents unless the relevant policy and authorization permit it.
• Work and school administrators may restrict AI Mode or content sharing.
• Review Google account activity and personalization settings if you do not want searches retained or used for personalization.
• Close or deselect unrelated tabs before creating a multi-source query.

How to get more reliable answers

1. Ask a narrow question with explicit criteria.
2. Select a small number of relevant sources instead of every open tab.
3. Request citations or a source-by-source comparison.
4. Open the cited pages and verify important statements.
5. Check dates, regional availability, and primary documentation.
6. Do not submit purchases, forms, reservations, or other consequential actions solely from an AI summary.

Google explains the multi-input workflow in its official AI Mode in Chrome announcement.

AI Mode in context

AI Mode adds an integrated search workflow rather than turning every page into an automatically trusted answer. If you want to compare other approaches, see TipsMake's guide to AI-enabled browsers. Users who prefer optional add-ons can also review agentic AI extensions for Chrome and TipsMake's list of AI extensions for Google Chrome.