Google: "Gemini in Chrome" Browser Feature

Environment

U-M Google, Gemini, Chrome

Issue

  • What is the "Gemini in Chrome" browser feature?
  • How do I activate/deactivate it?

Resolution

What is it?

  • "Gemini in Chrome" is a feature of the Chrome browser on desktop. It uses the page content of the browser tab you’re viewing to provide you with the relevant responses. You can type questions or use Live mode to ask questions aloud as you browse.
    • You have the option to enable sharing for your current browser tab and up to ten additional tabs simultaneously. Once sharing is enabled, Gemini in Chrome will continue to reference the current browser tab until you turn off sharing. 
  • It is not the same as visiting the Gemini web app in a browser at gemini.google.com or starting a chat with the Gemini web app by typing @gemini in the Chrome address bar.
    • You can use the Gemini web app in other browsers, but you won’t be able to share page content or use Live mode like you can with Gemini in Chrome.

How do I access it?

  • You can access Gemini in Chrome by clicking the Gemini icon in the Chrome toolbar (at the top of your browser).
  • In the future, you will be able to access it while using the Chrome app on your Android or iOS mobile device.
    • Although Google included that this release would apply to iOS devices, they have provided no information on how to activate it within the Google Help Center.
  • Caution: Once you opt in to this feature, you cannot opt out completely. However, you can disable all "Gemini in Chrome" permissions in your Chrome settings, which will essentially turn it off. Refer to "Manage permissions for Gemini in Chrome" below for steps.

Manage permissions for Gemini in Chrome

There are three permissions for Gemini in Chrome that you can adjust at any time.

  1. Click the three-dot icon in the top right corner of your Chrome browser.
  2. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click AI innovations in the left navigation.
  4. Click Gemini in Chrome.
    • If the section is hidden, click Menu first.
  5. You can toggle the following permissions on or off:
    • Precise location
      • If it's ON, Gemini can access and use your precise location.
      • If it’s OFF, Gemini cannot access and use your precise location, and will only be able to derive an estimated location from your IP address. 
    • Microphone
      • Turning this permission ON will allow you to use Live mode to talk in real-time with Gemini in Chrome about a webpage.
    • Page content sharing
      • This permission must be ON for Gemini in Chrome to automatically access and answer questions about the webpage you're viewing when you activate the feature.

Privacy & security

  • What happens to my data when I use Gemini in Chrome?
    • When you use the Gemini in Chrome feature, Gemini collects and processes page content and the URL from the browser tab you’re viewing by default. Some of the page content Gemini uses might not be visible to you.
  • How is my data stored when using Gemini in Chrome?
    • Information from websites you visit with the Gemini in Chrome feature and audio and files you share with it are stored in your Gemini Apps Activity.
    • Page content will be logged to your U-M Google account temporarily and will not appear in your Gemini Apps Activity.
    • Your Gemini Apps Activity is retained for 18 months.
  • How is my Gemini in Chrome Apps Activity used?
    • Your interactions, chats, and generated content are not human-reviewed or used to train Google’s AI models, as long as you are using your U-M Google account to access the "Gemini in Chrome" feature.
      • They remain in U-M Google and are not shared externally with third parties.
      • If you export content from Gemini in Chrome, the terms and policies of the service you export to will apply to that content.
  • As a reminder, Gemini at U-M is approved for use with the same types of sensitive data as your U-M Google account. Refer to the Sensitive Data Guide for more information.
    • Institutional data, such as FERPA, should never be used with a personal (non-UM) Google account.
    • The data protection offered by U-M Google is not available in personal accounts.

Resources

  • When you open Gemini in Chrome, the page content from the tab you're on is shared by default. Gemini uses that page content to respond. If you go to a different page on the same tab, Gemini uses the new page. You can stop sharing the page at any time.
    • To stop sharing your tab, hover over Sharing and click Stop sharing page from the Gemini in Chrome text field.
    • When the page is no longer shared, the glow from the page’s edges and the screen icon on the tab disappear.
  • Gemini may directly access your U-M Google account to respond to you about a Google-specific webpage (like docs.google.com) that you shared in Chrome. This ensures that Gemini can, for example, refer to an entire Google Doc you’ve asked about instead of only what’s available within the tab. The "Google Workspace" app in Gemini must be enabled for this to work.
  • Gemini in Chrome product page
  • Google Workspace Updates blog announcement
  • Google Help Center | Use Gemini in Chrome
  • Google Help Center | Use Gemini Live with Gemini in Chrome
  • Gemini Apps Privacy Hub

Additional Information

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.

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