Google tests floating AI search window in Chrome with keyboard shortcut

Ask anything—the new default way to search
Google's floating Everywhere Omnibox replaces the traditional search field with an AI-first prompt.

Google está redesenhando silenciosamente a relação entre o usuário e a busca digital. Com o experimento chamado Everywhere Omnibox, a empresa propõe um atalho direto para a inteligência artificial — uma janela flutuante que surge no centro da tela, desviando da barra de endereços e colocando a IA como ponto de partida, não como recurso secundário. É um gesto simbólico tanto quanto técnico: a busca tradicional cede espaço ao diálogo com máquinas que interpretam linguagem, imagens e intenções.

  • O Google está testando uma janela de busca flutuante que ignora a barra de endereços e coloca a IA no centro literal e figurativo da experiência.
  • Ativada por um atalho de teclado, a interface permite perguntas em linguagem natural, envio de imagens e arquivos, e até geração de imagens — tudo em um único painel.
  • A funcionalidade ainda é experimental e restrita ao Chrome Canary, sem previsão de chegada à versão estável usada pela maioria dos usuários.
  • O design deliberado — com atalho próprio e janela independente — sinaliza que o Google quer que a busca por IA seja um reflexo imediato, não uma opção escondida em menus.

O Google começou a testar uma nova forma de busca no navegador Chrome chamada Everywhere Omnibox — uma janela flutuante que aparece no centro da tela ao pressionar um atalho de teclado, sem passar pela barra de endereços. A funcionalidade foi descoberta pelo Windows Report e está disponível apenas no Chrome Canary, versão experimental do navegador usada para testes internos.

O que diferencia essa interface das funções de busca rápida já existentes no Chrome é a centralidade da inteligência artificial. Em vez de oferecer a IA como uma opção ao lado da busca tradicional, o Everywhere Omnibox a coloca como ponto de entrada principal. O usuário pode digitar perguntas em linguagem natural, enviar imagens ou arquivos para análise, solicitar a geração de imagens e ainda recorrer à busca convencional — tudo dentro da mesma janela flutuante.

A ferramenta ainda está em estágio bruto, com inconsistências esperadas. O Google não anunciou se ou quando ela chegará à versão estável do Chrome. Mas a escolha de design fala por si: ao dar à busca por IA um atalho próprio e uma janela independente, a empresa sinaliza que vê essa interação como um caminho primário — algo acessível de qualquer lugar na tela, a qualquer momento. Por ora, apenas quem usa o Chrome Canary pode experimentar. Os demais usuários aguardam para saber se a ideia se tornará parte permanente do navegador ou será arquivada nos laboratórios do Google.

Google is quietly reshaping how people search from their browser. The company has begun testing a new interface called Everywhere Omnibox—a floating window that appears in the center of your screen when you press a keyboard shortcut, bypassing the address bar entirely and dropping you straight into an AI-powered search mode.

The feature, discovered by Windows Report on Wednesday, is currently available only in Chrome Canary, Google's testing ground for experimental features. On Windows and Linux, you summon the window with Ctrl+Shift+Space. Mac users get Cmd+Shift+Space. When activated, a standalone search box materializes in the middle of your screen, replacing the traditional search field with a prompt that reads "Ask anything."

What makes this different from Chrome's existing quick-access search function is the AI-first approach. The new Everywhere Omnibox centers Google's generative intelligence as the primary tool, not an afterthought. You can type natural language questions, upload images or files for the AI to analyze, request image generation, and still fall back to traditional search if you prefer—all within the same floating window. The plus icon in the corner of the interface lets you attach media or trigger other capabilities.

The experimental nature of the tool means it remains rough around the edges. Google has not announced when or if it will graduate from Chrome Canary to the stable version that reaches ordinary users. Bugs and inconsistencies are expected as the company continues refining the experience. The older quick-search function in Chrome's desktop app displayed traditional search and AI mode side by side; this new version consolidates everything into a single, AI-forward interface.

What's notable is the deliberateness of the design choice. By giving the AI search its own keyboard shortcut and floating window, Google is signaling that it sees this as a primary way people will interact with search going forward—not as a secondary option tucked into a menu, but as something you can reach instantly from anywhere on your screen. The feature works across Windows, Linux, and macOS, suggesting Google intends this to be a cross-platform standard once it's ready for wider release.

For now, only those running Chrome Canary can experiment with it. The rest of Chrome's users will have to wait and see whether Google decides this becomes a permanent part of the browser, or whether it remains one of many ideas tested and discarded in the company's labs.

The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Inventor

Why does Google need a separate floating window for AI search? Doesn't it already have search built into the browser?

Model

It does, but this is different. They're treating AI search as something you'd want to reach as quickly as you'd reach any other app—with a single keystroke, from anywhere. It's a signal about priority.

Inventor

So this is about speed and accessibility, not just adding a feature.

Model

Exactly. The keyboard shortcut puts it on the same level as opening a new tab or switching windows. It's saying: this is how we think you'll want to search now.

Inventor

What happens to the traditional search bar? Does it disappear?

Model

No, it's still there within the same window if you want it. But the default is the AI prompt. You have to opt back into the old way.

Inventor

That's a pretty big shift. Is this definitely coming to everyone's Chrome?

Model

Not yet. It's only in Canary right now, and Google hasn't committed to a release date. It could change significantly before—or if—it reaches the stable version.

Inventor

What's the risk if they roll this out wrong?

Model

Users who expect traditional search might be confused by the AI-first interface. And if the AI makes mistakes, people are now encountering it as their primary search tool, not a secondary option.

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