Google is testing a new Chrome Canary feature that makes it easier to ask AI about a webpage, no highlighting required. If it ships more broadly, it turns a familiar question into a quick action that works anywhere you click.
The change appears when you right-click a page and choose Search with Google Lens. Instead of pushing you into the older Lens flow that required selecting text or images, Chrome now drops a small floating bar at the top with an Ask about this page prompt and a preview of what you’re viewing. Windows Report describes it as a lighter touch that doesn’t interrupt reading.
That bar slides aside when you click elsewhere, but it keeps the page context ready. You can ask AI about webpage in Chrome without shifting focus to the address bar, then continue into deeper results if you want.
Lens now starts with context
Rather than asking you to decide what matters first, Chrome now captures the whole visible page by default. The shift makes broader questions easier, whether you want a summary, clarification, or extra context, without doing any setup.
Interact with the overlay and Chrome opens AI Mode in the side panel. The interface includes tabs like AI Mode, All, Exact matches, Products, and Visual matches, which shows Google is testing a single entry point that blends AI responses with traditional search results.
Less friction, more impulse use?
The older Lens experience worked, but it asked for effort up front. You had to identify the right snippet before you could ask anything. This new flow flips that order. Chrome assumes the page is relevant, then lets you refine the question afterward, as Windows Report points out.
That matters because the action itself is already second nature. When the barrier drops, asking a quick question becomes something you do mid-scroll instead of something you plan around. The tool feels closer to a reflex than a feature.
What else Google is testing
Because this is still Canary, timing and availability remain unclear. But the direction is consistent. Google is experimenting with ways to make AI assistance feel native inside Chrome instead of tucked away in menus.
The practical takeaway is to watch whether this Lens overlay escapes Canary with clear controls and an easy way to turn it off. That’s the line between a helpful daily shortcut and another experiment that never sticks.