Google tests AI Mode as default Chrome search, then calls it an error after user backlash
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Google Testing Chrome Feature That Sends Search Queries Directly to AI Mode
Google is reportedly testing a new Chrome feature that allows users to route all their search queries directly to AI Mode. Windows Report noticed it in the Chrome Canary build and says it looks more ready than the usual experiments. Currently, search queries in Chrome return results in the "All"
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Google experiments with sending Chrome searches straight to AI - Engadget
The company is reportedly bypassing classic search results in its testing browser. Google seems to be mulling the idea of giving you the option to go straight to AI Mode when you do search queries. Windows Report has discovered a new hidden hidden flag in Chrome Canary, the browser's most
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Google tests making AI Mode the default in Search, then says it was an error
Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. A hot potato: The nightmare scenario in which AI Mode becomes the default in Google Search - something the company once suggested would happen - briefly became a reality. But before users had a
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Google denies plans to make AI Mode Chrome's default for search
Google VP Rajan Patel now denies that this means that the company's planning to make AI Mode the default. Anyone who's used Google to look something up in the past couple years already knows just how aggressively Search has been trying to steer users towards its AI-powered offerings. Whether
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Your Chrome searches could soon bypass Google Search entirely
Karandeep Singh Oberoi is a Durham College Journalism and Mass Media graduate who joined the Android Police team in April 2024, after serving as a full-time News Writer at Canadian publication MobileSyrup. Prior to joining Android Police, Oberoi worked on feature stories, reviews, evergreen
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Google Chrome tests sending users straight to AI Mode instead of Search
Google is in the early days of testing a new behavior in Chrome that sends users straight to AI Mode, bypassing the standard Search experience. Spotted by Windows Report, Google is testing a new flag on Chrome that, when enabled, bypasses standard Google Search and sends users straight into AI
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Google could make AI Mode the default way to search in Chrome
Google also said something similar when it was testing AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google Chrome may be simple and fast, but it's got a bunch of experimental features hidden behind Chrome flags that are often precursors to upcoming features. Now, a new flag has been spotted in Chrome Canary that
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Google sparked controversy when Chrome Canary revealed a feature sending all searches directly to AI Mode instead of traditional results. The experimental Chrome feature called 'Fulfill Searchbox Queries in AI Mode' would bypass traditional search results entirely. After widespread concern, Google VP Rajan Patel denied any plans to make AI Mode the default, calling it an error.
Google Chrome Tests Controversial AI Mode Default
Google Chrome is testing a feature that could fundamentally reshape how users interact with Google Search. Windows Report discovered a hidden flag in Chrome Canary called "Fulfill Searchbox Queries in AI Mode" that redirects all search queries entered in the address bar directly to AI Mode instead of traditional search results
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. The experimental Chrome feature works across Mac, Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS, though it's not enabled by default and remains buried in Chrome's experimental settings2
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Source: Android Authority
Currently, when users type search queries into the Omnibox, Google Search returns results in the "All" tab by default, starting with an AI Overview followed by organic blue links. Users must actively click "Show more" under the AI Overview or select the AI Mode tab to access the chatbot conversation interface
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. The Chrome Canary feature would bypass traditional search results entirely, taking users straight to an AI-powered chatbot conversation that looks and acts fundamentally different from typical Google Search results2
.Google Denies Plans After User Backlash
After the discovery triggered widespread concern, Google VP of Engineering for Search Rajan Patel quickly intervened to clarify the company's position. "This was an error. We're not planning to make AI Mode the default for Chrome searches," Patel stated
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. The denial came after users expressed frustration over having AI integration in search forced upon them, despite the majority not wanting it as their primary search experience3
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Source: TechSpot
The controversy gained traction because Google had previously hinted at making AI Mode as default search more accessible. In September, Logan Kilpatrick, lead product manager for Google AI Studio, responded to a user suggesting AI Mode should be the default with "soon :)". Google Search vice president Robby Stein later attempted to downplay the comment, noting the focus was on making AI Mode easier to access rather than mandatory
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.What This Means for Chrome Users
Chrome Canary serves as Google's testing ground where features are evaluated before appearing in stable Chrome releases, though not all experiments make the final cut. A code commit note from the feature's author confirms this exploratory nature: "This is just for exploration. There are no current plans to push this live"
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. Users can currently enable the flag in Chrome Settings, which offers three options: Default, Enable, and Disable, suggesting it could function as a session-specific toggle rather than a permanent change1
.The timing aligns with Google's broader AI push. At Google I/O, the company announced what it called "the biggest upgrade to our Search box in over 25 years" within AI Mode, introducing the Intelligent Search Box that accepts videos, images, files, and Chrome tabs as inputs for search queries
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. Following that announcement, privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo experienced a surge in app installs, signaling user resistance to forced AI integration1
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Source: 9to5Google
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The Future of Search Remains Uncertain
Whether Patel's denial represents genuine course correction or damage control following user outcry remains unclear
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. Google has invested billions in artificial intelligence and faces pressure to generate returns on that investment, even as users push back against having AI features integrated into every aspect of their user experience3
. The company continues adding AI features to its products at an aggressive pace, making it difficult to predict whether similar attempts to make AI Mode more prominent will resurface in different forms. For now, traditional Google Search remains the default, but the experimental flag demonstrates how easily that could change with a simple settings adjustment.References
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