Summary
- Google’s AI assistant, Gemini Live, might be coming to Chrome. Early code hints suggest a floating window UI accessible through a new icon in the tab strip.
- This browser integration could make Gemini Live even more accessible, potentially working on Windows, Linux, and Mac versions of Chrome.
- Features like a dedicated settings menu and hotkey customization suggest a robust implementation of Gemini Live.
The Gemini assistant is a major boon for users deep in the Google ecosystem, thanks to a trove of recent integrations that bring access to several of your favorite apps as extensions within Gemini — including Spotify, WhatsApp, Google Home, and more.
Further, the chatbot’s conversational Gemini Live assistant with natural-sounding spoken dialogue capabilities became free-to-use for all in September, and it even landed on iOS with a standalone Gemini app back in September. For reference, the conversational assistant was formerly exclusive to Gemini Advanced subscribers ($20/mo).
Now, in an attempt to further expand Gemini Live’s availability and functionality, Google seems to be working on integrating the conversational assistant into Google Chrome — and there are hints to support that argument, at least on Chrome for the web.
As highlighted by Chrome researcher Leopeva64 on X (Twitter) just a little over one month ago, enabling certain flags surfaces a new exclamation mark icon on Chrome’s tab strip. Currently a placeholder, tapping the icon triggers a floating window — which will reportedly house the Gemini Live UI.
According to code found in Chromium Gerrit, the feature’s implementation is internally known as GLIC, which is likely the abbreviation for Gemini Live in Chrome. Work on integrating Gemini Live into Chrome has been ongoing since early November, with a dedicated feature flag added for it on November 8. For what it’s worth, enabling the GLIC flag on Chrome Canary does not surface the tab strip icon for me, but it does add a dedicated GLIC section in Chrome’s Settings (more on that + a screenshot below).
Code hints at support for Chrome on Windows, Linux, and Mac
While GLIC’s implementation on Chrome can change by the time it officially rolls out, early code analysis suggests that Gemini Live’s floating window will be resizeable, the tool will have a dedicated status tray icon, a Settings menu, and even a hotkey that users will likely be able to customize for quick access. In addition to Windows, GLIC will also be available on Chrome for Linux and Mac.
Leopeva also highlighted that GLIC needs access to your microphone and location, further adding credence to the claim that it is indeed the abbreviation for Gemini Live in Chrome. The Settings menu for GLIC reinforces those claims, considering that it offers toggles for location, microphone, and current tab access, alongside an option to “view and manage your activity.” Note: toggling on the ‘feature in your menu’ option does not surface the tab strip icon for me.
