Google has begun testing a new floating panel in the Google Chrome Canary browser that appears when you highlight text on a web page, adding built-in AI actions.
The interface resembles the context menu on Android: a floating panel appears above the selected text fragment, offering four options — Ask Gemini, Copy, Share, and a menu for additional settings.
When you choose Ask Gemini, the highlighted text is automatically sent to the Google Gemini sidebar, where it serves as a ready-made prompt. This allows you to ask follow-up questions without switching tabs or manually copying text.
The additional menu includes options to disable the panel for a specific website and to navigate to Chrome’s general settings. According to Windows Report, this section currently appears unfinished, indicating an early stage of development.
Google is gradually expanding Gemini’s presence in the browser: the @gemini address bar command and the “AI Mode” button in the toolbar, currently being tested, have already been introduced. This new panel continues that strategy, making AI access as contextual as possible.
It’s worth noting separately that the Ask Gemini feature was already added to the right-click context menu; however, this new implementation brings it to the forefront, making AI access more direct and persistent.
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