Google Chrome is testing new AI-powered search functions in its experimental Canary build, signaling a potential shift in how users begin browsing. The test, first spotted by Windows Report, introduces two new buttons, or “chips,” just below the main search bar on the new tab page, labeled “Nano Banana” and “Deep Search.” These new options sit alongside the “AI Mode” button that was added earlier this year.
The new buttons appear to be shortcuts for specific AI prompts. Clicking “Nano Banana” automatically inserts the text “Create an image of…” into the search box, suggesting a direct integration with Google’s image generation tools. Similarly, the “Deep Search” button populates the bar with “Help me research…,” hinting at a more complex, Gemini-powered research function. This move suggests Google is steering Chrome’s search box to evolve from a simple URL bar into a creative command center.
The features are still in a highly experimental and unstable phase. Users in the Canary build report that clicking the buttons can crash the browser or do nothing at all. To enable them, users must activate several hidden flags, including #ntp-next-features, in the chrome://flags menu. This development is seen as part of Google’s broader strategy to compete with a new wave of AI-first browsers like Comet, Dia, and the recently launched Atlas by OpenAI. Google has not provided a timeline for a wider public rollout.
