Google Search’s shiny new AI Mode hasn’t been around long, but the company isn’t wasting any time weaving it deeper into its core products. First teased at I/O and now showing up across Android and Pixel devices, the AI-powered assistant has begun creeping into Chrome — starting with the beta channel on Android (Source: Android Authority).
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Spotted by Android sleuth Mishaal Rahman, Chrome Beta version 139.0.7258.32 seems to be playing host to multiple iterations of a redesigned new tab page. The most eye-catching change? A fresh shortcut for AI Mode nestled right under the search bar. This puts it front and center, suggesting Google is eager to get more eyes — and queries — funneled into its AI assistant rather than the usual blue-link search results.
Rahman noticed two slightly different designs across two separate Android devices running the same beta version. On one device, the new AI Mode button appeared with the Lens and voice search icons relocated just below the search bar. The G logo, reminiscent of older versions of Chrome, reappeared to the left of the bar, and the placeholder text was updated to read “Search Google or type URL.”
The current New Tab page, followed by two alternate versions spotted in beta testing. Screenshots courtesy of Mishaal Rahman via Android Authority.
On the second device, things looked a little more familiar. The AI Mode button was nowhere to be found, the G logo was absent, and the search bar kept its usual “Search or type URL” prompt. Interestingly, this variant included an Incognito Mode shortcut next to the Lens and voice icons, making it clear that Google is A/B testing these designs, likely controlled by account-level flags rather than app versions.
While the feature doesn’t seem to be rolling out broadly just yet, there’s more than enough smoke here to suggest fire. Rahman’s findings come alongside recent whispers of a similar AI Mode shortcut being tested on the desktop version of Chrome’s new tab page. Google hasn’t officially confirmed anything, but it’s easy to connect the dots.
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Considering AI Mode has already landed on the Google Search widget and the Pixel Launcher, a Chrome integration is a logical next step — especially with Chrome commanding over 60% of global browser market share. Putting AI Mode front and center in the world’s most-used browser could be Google’s biggest push yet to keep users from straying to rivals like ChatGPT or Perplexity.
It’s not live for everyone just yet, but if these tests are anything to go by, AI Mode in Chrome is only a matter of time.
