Google brings Gemini in Chrome to users in Asia and the Pacific

At a glance:

• Gemini in Chrome expands to Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam
• The sidebar works on Chrome desktop and iPhone/iPad apps, except iOS in Japan
• Users can also launch Google’s Nano Banana 2 image generator from the same pane

Rollout details

Google announced that the Gemini‑in‑Chrome sidebar is being rolled out across the Asia‑Pacific region starting today. The rollout follows earlier launches in the United States, Canada, India and New Zealand. The countries receiving the feature are:

• Australia
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Philippines
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Vietnam

The expansion was confirmed in an update posted at 7:43 PM ET, which clarified that the entire Asia‑Pacific region is now covered. This move brings the AI‑powered assistant to roughly half a billion new users, positioning Google’s conversational AI against competitors that have already launched similar integrations in the region.

How the sidebar works

To start a conversation, users tap the “Ask Gemini” icon located at the top‑right corner of Chrome. The click opens a persistent sidebar that remains visible across all open tabs, allowing users to ask questions without leaving the page they are browsing. The interface was introduced earlier in the year and now supports both text and image prompts.

The sidebar is available in Chrome’s desktop browser as well as the iPhone and iPad versions of the app. The only exception is Japan, where the iOS version of the suite is not yet released. Users who prefer not to see the shortcut can simply right‑click the icon and select “Unpin” to remove it from the toolbar.

Integration features

Beyond plain chat, Gemini in Chrome integrates tightly with Google’s ecosystem. For example, users can create calendar events directly from the sidebar without switching to the Calendar app. The same pane also gives instant access to Google’s in‑house image generator, Nano Banana 2, enabling on‑the‑fly visual content creation.

These integrations aim to keep users within the Chrome environment, reducing friction and encouraging more frequent use of Gemini’s capabilities. By leveraging existing Google services, the sidebar acts as a hub for productivity, research, and creative tasks.

Regional availability notes

While the feature is broadly available across the listed countries, the iOS limitation in Japan means Japanese mobile users must rely on the desktop version or wait for a future update. Google has not provided a specific timeline for the iOS rollout in Japan, but the company typically aligns such releases with local regulatory reviews and language model fine‑tuning.

Overall, the expansion underscores Google’s strategy to embed generative AI deeper into its core products, making Gemini a default assistant for everyday browsing in a growing number of markets.