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tends to Only developers can actually use it, but the address bar and search box at the top of the Google Chrome interface have an official name: omnibox. It reflects the multipurpose capabilities of this small text field, as it can do much more than look up web addresses and perform Google searches.
When you know everything the omnibox can do, you can save time jumping between different apps and sites, and get things done faster. What’s more, Google is constantly adding new features to the omnibox. More recently, as expected, the company added a integration with Gemini AI.
Here are some of our favorites: Simply remove the quotes around the text examples below to get the code you need to type into the omnibox.
Chat with Gemini
We just mentioned the latest update to Chrome’s omnibox, so we might as well start here: Type “@gemini” in the address bar, then a space, then the message for the chatbot. Hit Get intoand the query will be executed in Google Gemini. Chrome will use any version of Gemini included in your Google account (for example, Gemini Advanced, if you’re a paying user).
Perform conversions
Whatever type of conversion you need, the almighty omnibox can take care of it: convert kilometers to miles, dollars to euros or days to months. All you have to do is write the desired conversion in a way that makes sense. Chrome is pretty good at determining what you’re trying to do, so, for example, you can type “£34 in US dollars” and it will know you’re looking for a conversion. You should immediately see the result appear below; no need to press Enter.
Run basic calculations
On a related note, you can also run simple calculations from Chrome’s omnibox, without needing to press Enter. Any value like “24*8” or “352+91” will instantly display a result below, as will “24*8-352+91”, and you can use square brackets if you need to solve part of the sum first. If you press Get into then the full Chrome calculator opens.
check the weather
Do you want to know the weather, anywhere? Chrome will tell you.Courtesy of David Nield
Chrome can report live weather conditions from the omnibox. Simply type “weather” (no need to press Enter) to see a mini overview of current conditions wherever you are. Note that this only provides the most accurate result if Chrome has access to your current location. Add a town, city or zip code at the end to see conditions there and press Get into after your consultation for a more detailed forecast.
Search your favorites
You can search through your Chrome bookmarks right from the omnibox, without having to open the browser’s built-in Bookmark Manager. You must first type the name of one of your bookmarks folders, so that Chrome knows what you are trying to do and then you can type any word or phrase to see instant results from the pages saved in that bookmarks folder.
Make notes in Chrome
If you need to quickly jot down some ideas in Chrome and don’t want to start a separate program, the code “data:text/html”, followed by Get into will give you a blank tab that you can write on. It’s not the most advanced text editor (there’s no formatting or autosave), but it works well as a quick note-taking solution.
Get quick definitions
If you’re not sure what a particular word means, Chrome can tell you and you don’t need to leave the page you’re currently on to find the definition. Type “define,” then a space, then the word whose meaning you want, and a basic definition will appear below. To return to the URL of the page you were viewing, press ESC to remove the definition.
Chrome’s omnibox can define any word for you.Courtesy of David Nield
Create new documents
You can quickly create new documents, spreadsheets, or presentations in Google’s online office suite by typing “docs.new,” “sheets.new,” or “slides.new” into the omnibox. When you press Get intoThe new file is created in Google Drive for the current Google account. To create a new file in a new window (leaving the current one alone), use Shift+Enter after your order.
There is a whole set of things. New shortcuts can be launched and Google continues to add new capabilities.
Start new emails
There is a similar trick for creating new emails in your computer’s default email client: type “mailto:” and press Get into to open a blank email. You can also pre-populate the To: field with the destination address by typing it after the colon, if you know it. To set the default email client on Windows, choose Apps > Default apps from Settings; on macOS, choose Mail > Settings > General from Apple mail.
Run instant Google searches
In many Google searches, the answer is returned above the list of links on the results page. These “instant” searches also work in Chrome. Ask about facts (such as the height of the Eiffel Tower or the mass of Jupiter), the ages of celebrities, the days until a certain date, the current stock prices of a company, the size of countries, the authors of the books, etc.
