Gemini in Chrome gets Select from Screen feature to analyze on-screen content directly

Gemini in Chrome is getting yet another version of Circle to Search

Users will find a new "Select from screen" option when providing content for Gemini to see. Google is clearly enamored with the idea of using screen content to initiate searches, and over the years we've seen variation after variation on this same theme, from Google Lens to Circle to Search. Google's never been a company to shy away from a little redundancy, and this week it's sharing its very latest tool for pulling off this same sort of trick. Earlier this week, Google updated its Gemini in Chrome support pages to introduce a new "Select from screen" tool for Chrome on the desktop. Accessing it is pretty straightforward, with users needing to first click "Ask Gemini," then hitting the plus sign for Gemini's Add menu. Here, you can finally choose "Select from screen" to start drawing a box around the content you want Gemini looking at. That include multiple screen areas at once. When you have them all highlighted, you can go ahead and present Gemini with your prompt. That's all there is to using it, and as you can likely see, this already feels very close to Chrome's integration with Google Lens, only here leaning harder on Gemini, while Lens takes you to a regular Google Search page -- to be fair, one where you can always still engage with AI Mode. You obviously need to have Gemini in Chrome enabled to take advantage of this input feature, and that requires being signed in to the browser with a Google account -- it won't work in Incognito. If that's a concern of yours, Chrome's Lens support still works without an account, even in Incognito. Chrome users should start seeing "Select from screen" available in their browsers as of now. If you're not getting it (and you're positive you have Gemini in Chrome enabled in the first place), make sure you've updated to the most recent Chrome 149 release.

Gemini in Chrome can now see exactly what you're looking at on screen

Google's new "Select from screen" tool makes it easier to ask Gemini questions about text and images in a browser tab. Google is making Gemini a lot more aware of what's happening inside Chrome. The company has started rolling out a new "Select from screen" feature that lets users highlight specific text or images from a webpage and send them directly to Gemini, making conversations with the AI assistant far more contextual. Gemini can now focus on exactly what users want to ask about The new feature appears inside Gemini in Chrome's "+" menu and works much like a built-in screenshot tool. Once activated, users can select any text or image visible in the current browser tab, which is then automatically attached to a Gemini prompt. Instead of manually describing what's on a webpage, users can simply point Gemini at the exact content they want help with. Google is rolling out the capability as part of Chrome 149, although some users may need to restart their browser before it appears. The update continues Google's push to make Gemini feel less like a standalone chatbot and more like an assistant that's aware of what users are actively doing. The timing is also interesting because Google announced another major Gemini upgrade on the same day. Developers can now access computer use capabilities directly through Gemini 3.5 Flash, allowing AI agents to see, reason, and take actions across browsers, mobile apps, and desktop environments without relying on a separate model. Google says the integration improves long-horizon tasks such as software testing, enterprise workflows, and other multi-step automation jobs. This feels like Google's answer to "AI should know what I'm looking at" Interestingly, this update is less about a new feature and more about removing friction. By letting Gemini understand exactly what's on screen and interact with it directly, Google is moving beyond the traditional chatbot experience toward an AI assistant that can understand context, anticipate intent, and help users complete tasks rather than simply answer questions.