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Google is testing a Chrome experience that opens AI Mode beside the page you are viewing, commonly on the right. The side-by-side workflow is documented for eligible users, but Google has not confirmed that a right-side panel will become the universal Chrome default. A separate Canary experiment that sent address-bar searches straight to AI Mode was explicitly described by Google as an error, not a planned replacement for ordinary Search.
What Google has actually announced
Chrome’s official Help documentation describes browsing with AI Mode in a side panel or a full-tab view. When you select a result from a full-page Google Search, Chrome can open the destination webpage in the panel and add that page to the context of the ongoing AI Mode conversation. You can then ask follow-up questions while keeping the source page visible beside the answers.
Google’s April 16, 2026 product announcement presented the same behavior as a desktop Chrome improvement: clicking a link while using AI Mode opens the webpage side-by-side with the conversation. The stated benefit is comparison without repeatedly switching tabs.
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The documented workflow is different from making AI Mode the browser’s default search destination. Ordinary address-bar searches can still go to standard Google Search, depending on your settings and the rollout available to your account.
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Is AI Mode becoming the default search in Chrome?
No confirmed change has been announced. In June 2026, a report on Chrome Canary described a flag that routed address-bar searches directly into AI Mode. Google Search engineering vice president Rajan Patel responded that the behavior was an error and said Google was not planning to make AI Mode the default for Chrome searches. Treat that Canary behavior as an experiment that was withdrawn or corrected, not as a scheduled Chrome change.
This distinction matters because a browser-side panel and a default search provider affect different parts of the experience. The panel adds conversational context to a search session; a default-search change would alter what happens every time you submit a query from the address bar.
How to get the AI Mode side panel
Availability is controlled by Google’s gradual rollout. Chrome’s May 11, 2026 Community announcement listed these initial access conditions:
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- Chrome running in the United States
- Chrome’s language set to English (United States)
- A Google account signed in to Chrome
- Incognito mode turned off
Google says the feature is expanding beyond the United States and English-language settings, but it is not available to every person, device or account yet.
Use the documented side-by-side workflow
- Sign in to your Google account in a regular (non-Incognito) Chrome window.
- Open Google Search and enter a query. If AI Mode is enabled for your account, choose the AI Mode experience from the Search interface.
- Ask a question, then select a result or link from the AI Mode response.
- Chrome opens the selected webpage beside the AI conversation when the side-panel workflow is available.
- Continue asking questions. The opened page is added to the follow-up context, so you can ask about details on that page without starting over.
The exact button or entry point can vary as Google expands the feature. If no AI Mode control appears, your account or region may not have access; changing Chrome’s language or using a Canary flag does not guarantee eligibility.
Why the page opens beside the conversation
The side-by-side layout is designed for tasks that require checking information against a source. You can read an article, product specification or documentation page while retaining the prior question and then ask a narrower follow-up. Opening the link in the panel also keeps the conversation’s context instead of forcing a separate tab and a new search.
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That behavior should not be confused with a permanent right-side setting. Google’s documentation supports side-by-side viewing, while the exact panel position can depend on the current Chrome build and experiment.
Can you move AI Mode to the right?
Reports from May 29, 2026 described Chrome Canary testing separate alignment controls for Google Search AI Mode, Gemini and other side panels. Those controls reportedly allowed panels to be assigned to different sides. They do not establish a universal setting in stable Chrome, and Google has not confirmed that AI Mode always opens on the right for all users.
If your stable Chrome build exposes an alignment control, use that control in the panel’s own menu. If it does not, there is no documented, guaranteed way to force the AI Mode panel to the right. Canary flags are pre-release experiments and can disappear, change names or introduce unrelated bugs; they should not be treated as a supported fix.
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AI Mode side panel versus ordinary Google Search
| Aspect | AI Mode side-by-side workflow | Ordinary Search |
|---|---|---|
| Entry point | AI Mode in eligible Chrome accounts | Standard Google Search results from the browser or address bar |
| Page context | An opened result can remain beside the conversation and be added to follow-up context | A result normally opens as a page or tab without an AI conversation attached |
| Follow-up questions | Ask additional questions while the selected page remains in context | Run another query or return to the results page |
| Availability | Gradual rollout; initial conditions included US location, English (US), signed-in account and non-Incognito browsing | Broadly available where Google Search is available |
| Panel placement | Right-side opening is being tested or observed, but no universal default is confirmed | No AI panel placement applies |
What the wider rollout means
Google said on May 19, 2026 that Gemini 3.5 Flash was becoming the default model in AI Mode globally. The same update said AI Mode had surpassed one billion monthly users one year after launch. Google also said some custom Search experiences would initially be available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the United States. That statement concerns access to particular Search experiences; it does not mean a subscription is required for every side-panel user.
What to expect if you do not see it
- Check the browsing mode: use a normal Chrome window rather than Incognito.
- Check the account: sign in to the Google account you expect to receive the rollout.
- Check language and region: the first rollout targeted the United States and English (United States), while expansion is gradual.
- Keep Chrome current: the side-by-side feature rolled out with a Chrome release, but an update alone cannot bypass account or regional eligibility.
- Do not rely on Canary flags: an experimental flag can show behavior that Google later removes, including the direct-to-AI-Mode address-bar test.
The bottom line on the right-side test
Chrome’s AI Mode side panel is a real, documented workflow for eligible users, and opening a result beside the conversation is an intentional feature. The claim that Google is making AI Mode the default Chrome search is not supported: Google specifically rejected that interpretation of the Canary experiment. Right-side alignment remains an experimental or rollout-dependent detail rather than a confirmed universal default.
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