How to Use Chrome’s New AI to Summarize Pages Instantly

As of December 2025, Google Chrome’s new Gemini-powered AI can summarize long pages, answer questions, and analyze content without you ever leaving the tab. If you spend your day hopping between articles, docs, and PDFs, Chrome’s built-in AI summary tools can turn that chaos into a streamlined research workflow.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to use Chrome’s new AI features to instantly summarize pages, use the right-click “ask about this page” style tools, and turn any article into a Q&A session. We’ll also cover how to enable Gemini in Chrome, what version you need, and practical tips to boost your browsing productivity.

Is this a news feature or an evergreen tool?

Chrome’s AI summarization is now a core, ongoing capability, not a one-off announcement. While Gemini in Chrome began rolling out to U.S. users in September 2025 and the built-in Summarizer API shipped in Chrome 138 stable on June 24, 2025, these tools are designed to be used long-term as everyday productivity features. That makes this an evergreen “how-to” topic, so this article focuses on practical setup and usage, not just the launch news.

What you need before using Chrome AI summary tools

Before you start right-clicking to summarize pages, make sure your setup meets these requirements.

• Chrome version: For the on-device Summarizer API, you need at least Chrome 138 stable, which began rolling out on June 24, 2025.
• Gemini in Chrome availability: Gemini browsing assistance started rolling out to Mac and Windows users in the U.S. with language set to English on September 18, 2025.
• Platform support for built-in AI (Gemini Nano): Windows 10/11, macOS 13+ (Ventura or later), Linux, or ChromeOS on Chromebook Plus devices that meet hardware requirements.
• Hardware: At least 22 GB free disk space on the profile volume, plus either a GPU with >4 GB VRAM or a CPU with 16 GB RAM and 4+ cores for on-device models.
• Network: An unmetered or high-cap data connection to download and update the Gemini Nano model.

Even if you don’t meet on-device requirements, you can still use cloud-powered Gemini in Chrome for page summaries and questions, as long as the feature is available in your region and account.

How to enable Gemini and Chrome AI features

Depending on when you’re reading this and which channel you’re on, Chrome may prompt you to turn on AI features automatically. If not, here’s the general path to get Gemini and Chrome AI features running.

1. Update Chrome to the latest version.
   Open Chrome, select the three-dot menu > Help > About Google Chrome and let it update. Restart when prompted.
2. Sign in with a supported Google account.
   Use a personal account that’s eligible for Gemini in Chrome. Some work or school accounts may restrict AI features.
3. Open Chrome AI / Experimental AI settings.
   Go to Settings (three dots > Settings). Look for an AI, Gemini, or Experimental AI section. Google has been surfacing Chrome’s AI controls under a dedicated AI/Experiments page for new features.
4. Enable Gemini in Chrome.
   Toggle on options like “Gemini in Chrome,” “AI assistance,” or similar wording. This gives Chrome permission to show Gemini on pages and in side panels.
5. Turn on built-in AI features (if available).
   If your device supports on-device Gemini Nano, enable options related to “built-in AI APIs” or “summarization” so Chrome can download the model in the background.

Once enabled, you’ll typically see a Gemini icon (sparkle or star-like symbol) in the Chrome toolbar or sidebar, plus new context-aware options such as “Ask about this page” or “Summarize this page.”

Using Chrome’s right-click AI to summarize a page instantly

Once Gemini in Chrome is active, summarizing any article becomes a one- or two-click action. The exact wording of the option may vary (“Summarize this page,” “Ask about this page”) but the flow is similar.

1. Open the page you want to summarize.
   Navigate to a long article, documentation page, blog post, or report in Chrome.
2. Right-click on the page content.
   Right-click on an empty area of the article or over text. In supported builds, you’ll see a Gemini-related option, such as:
   • Ask Gemini about this page
   • Summarize this page
   • Ask about this page (often used in AI mode / Gemini overlays)
3. Choose the summary option.
   Click the summary or “ask about page” entry. Chrome will open a Gemini panel (often on the right side) that reads the visible content of the page.
4. Wait a few seconds for the summary.
   Gemini generates a concise recap, usually as:
   • Short paragraph overview, or
   • Bullet-point list of key takeaways, or
   • Structured sections (e.g., What it’s about, Key points, Next steps).
5. Skim the result before diving back into the article.
   Use the summary to decide whether the page is worth a deep read, and which sections to focus on.

This is ideal when you’re screening many sources: scan ten summaries in Gemini instead of fully reading ten long articles.

Turning a page summary into an interactive Q&A

Chrome’s AI summary is just the starting point. The real productivity win comes from asking follow-up questions directly about the page, without copy-pasting into another AI tool.

1. Use suggested follow-up prompts.
   After summarizing, Gemini typically shows suggested questions like:
   • “Explain this in simpler terms.”
   • “List the pros and cons.”
   • “Give me the key steps.”
   • “How does this compare to X?”
   Click any suggestion to get an instant, page-aware answer.
2. Ask your own custom questions.
   Type directly into the Gemini panel, referencing the page:
   • “Summarize only the security implications from this article.”
   • “Extract all dates and deadlines from this page.”
   • “Explain this as if I’m new to [topic].”
   Gemini uses the page context plus any open related tabs to answer.
3. Drill down by section.
   Highlight a specific section or code block, then right-click and choose the Gemini/summary option (if available on your build). Ask:
   • “Rewrite this section in bullet points.”
   • “Create a checklist based on this procedure.”
   This narrows the AI’s focus and reduces noise.
4. Use it as a research hub.
   Instead of switching to another chatbot tab, keep your Q&A in the Gemini side panel. It remains anchored to the page, so answers stay grounded in what you’re actually reading.

How Chrome’s built-in Summarizer API powers smarter tools

Under the hood, Chrome’s summarization experiences are increasingly backed by on-device AI via the Summarizer API, which uses the Gemini Nano model downloaded by the browser. While end users just see “Summarize this page,” developers and power users can actually build their own summarization workflows that run locally.

Key technical details as of mid–2025:

• Available from Chrome 138 stable: The Summarizer API is supported starting with Chrome 138.
• On-device Gemini Nano: The first time a site uses the API, Chrome downloads the Gemini Nano model in the background, subject to your hardware and storage.
• Customizable output: Developers can choose summary type (key-points, tldr, teaser, headline), length (short/medium/long), and format (Markdown or plain text).
• Batch and streaming modes: Summaries can be generated in one shot or streamed chunk-by-chunk.
• Language-aware: Options exist to specify expected input/output languages so Chrome can handle or reject unsupported combinations.

That means over time you’ll see more sites and extensions exposing “Summarize” or “Key points” buttons that feel as fast as native Chrome features, because they are using the same underlying on-device AI.

Chrome AI summary vs manual skimming: productivity impact

For researchers, students, analysts, and SEOs, this shift from manual skimming to AI-assisted summarizing translates directly into more output with less cognitive fatigue.

Best practices to get high-quality Chrome AI summaries

To get the most accurate and useful results from Chrome’s AI summary tools, adjust how you work with pages and prompts.

• Stick to one main topic per page.
  Gemini works best when the page is about a coherent subject. Extremely mixed content can yield generic summaries.
• Scroll so key sections are visible.
  Some implementations focus on what’s visible in the viewport first. Before summarizing, scroll through the article to make sure all sections have loaded (especially on infinite-scroll or lazy-loaded pages).
• Use precise prompts for follow-ups.
  Instead of “Explain this,” ask “Explain the limitations section for a non-technical audience” or “Extract only action items.”
• Verify critical information.
  For legal, medical, or financial topics, use Chrome’s AI as a helpful filter, then click through to original sections and cross-check details.
• Leverage multi-tab context.
  When researching, keep related tabs open. Gemini in Chrome can use what’s in other tabs to compare or aggregate answers.

Example workflows to boost browsing productivity

1. Rapid research sweep

1. Open 5–10 promising articles in separate tabs.
2. On each tab, right-click and choose Summarize this page or Ask about this page.
3. Scan the Gemini summaries to identify the 2–3 strongest sources.
4. Use page-specific questions to pull out stats, definitions, or quotes you need.

2. Turning dense docs into action items

1. Open a long spec, technical RFC, or policy document.
2. Use the Gemini right-click tool to summarize.
3. Ask: “Convert this page into a checklist of steps I need to take,” or “Create a one-page brief for stakeholders.”
4. Copy the AI-generated checklist into your project tracker or notes app.

3. Learning complex topics faster

1. Find an in-depth tutorial or academic article on a topic you’re learning.
2. Summarize the page via right-click Gemini tools.
3. Ask follow-ups like “Explain this assuming I’m new to [topic]” or “What should I learn next after this article?”
4. Use the suggestions as a guided learning path.

Conclusion: Make Chrome’s AI your default reading companion

Chrome’s new AI features, powered by Gemini in Chrome and the built-in Summarizer API, turn your browser into an active research assistant. Instead of bouncing between tabs and external AI tools, you can right-click to summarize, interrogate, and repurpose any page right where you’re reading.

To get started, update Chrome, enable Gemini and AI features in settings, and look for options like “Summarize this page” or “Ask about this page” in the right-click menu or Gemini panel. Then, build the habit of using summaries and follow-up questions whenever you hit a dense article, confusing documentation, or information overload. The result is faster comprehension, cleaner notes, and a smoother browsing workflow every time you open Chrome.