Google is adding its artificial intelligence tool Gemini to the Chrome browser on iPhones and iPads across the US, meaning you'll  be able to use Google's AI functionality in Chrome instead of having to go to the Google app on your devices.

The integration comes a few months after Google rolled out Gemini in Chrome to Windows and Mac desktop users in the US in September. At the time, the company said that it would eventually be doing the same thing with iPhones and iPads.

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Before now, if you wanted to use Gemini on your iPhone and iPad, you were not able to do so from Chrome -- you would have had to go to the Google app or Google website. 

Folks using Android phones already have Gemini on their Chrome browsers, which is the default browser on Android devices. 

Chrome is the most widely used web browser in the US; StatCounter said that as of November, Chrome had a 54% market share of browsers in the US, followed by Apple's Safari (28%) and Microsoft Edge (7%). There are other smaller browsers that people use to search the internet, including Firefox, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and Arc.

Gemini is Google's family of AI products and competes with ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic's Claude, Perplexity AI, Mistral AI, Meta AI and Grok in the realm of chatbots, content creation and AI integration.

'Gap' has been filled

Jason Howell, host of the Android Faithful Podcast and a former CNET staffer, said Google has filled "a noticeable gap" in AI for Chrome for the millions of iPhone and iPad users in the US.

"Giving Gemini awareness of what's happening inside the Chrome browser has real utility, and placing that spark icon front and center will nudge a lot of people to try it who might not have otherwise," Howell said. "It's a smart distribution play. Put your AI in an app that millions already have installed, and you're giving them an enticing reason to test it."

Howell said adding Gemini into Chrome for iOS could give Google the edge on, well, Edge.

"Microsoft already brings Copilot to iOS through its dedicated apps and even inside the Edge browser, so this isn't Google pulling ahead so much as it is Google catching up in an important and highly visible place," Howell said. "Having said that, Chrome has a much larger footprint on iOS compared to Edge, so it's using its scale to put Gemini in front of far more iPhone and iPad users, which could meaningfully shift adoption among third-party AI assistants."

What can you do with Gemini?

Gemini in Chrome is not immediately available to everyone using iOS devices, but it is gradually rolling out across the US. To be able to get it, you need to be running Chrome version 143, sign into your account and make sure the browser language is set to English; you also cannot be in Incognito mode.

Chrome users in iOS will know they have Gemini when the Google Lens icon (which looks like a camera with a dot in the middle) to the left of the address bar is replaced by the Gemini icon (which looks like a sparkle).

When you tap or press the Gemini icon, two options will appear on a "Page tools" screen that slides up: Search screen and Ask Gemini. Two shortcuts that will appear are Summarize page and Create FAQ about this topic.

Let's say your web page is about the top news events of 2025. You could ask Gemini, "Give me a list of the top events for each month," or, "List out the top political news of 2025." Maybe you're looking at a great meal to prepare but you need substitutes for certain ingredients -- you could ask Gemini to provide suggestions. Just remember to double-check everything an AI tool tells you because AIs  have been known to hallucinate.

Gemini for Chrome in iOS will also make checkout easier with biometrics instead of a CVC code during online shopping.