Chrome’s Next New Tab Page Could Bring "AI Action Chips", Not Just a New Search Box

Google is working on more than just a fresh look for Chrome’s search box. After Realbox Next with Tall and Compact layouts, new Chromium code indicates that the company is preparing an even bigger change with AI Action chips: transforming the entire New Tab Page into what it calls “NTP Next.”

A new flag in the Chromium source, named “ntp-next-features”, describes itself as “Enables features (e.g., AI action chips) in NTP Next.”

Chrome’s New Tab Page Is Getting “AI Action Chips” Beyond the Search Box Redesign

This is the clearest sign yet that Google doesn’t want the New Tab Page to remain a simple search shortcut. Instead, it is setting up features like AI action chips that could let users quickly start tasks, get answers, or use smart shortcuts directly from the Chrome start screen.

The earlier Realbox Next experiment already pointed in this direction by replacing the traditional search bar with taller, chat-style layouts and “Ask Google” prompts such as Make a comparison or Teach me a new skill.

With AI action chips, the plan becomes clearer: Google wants the New Tab Page to become a more useful space where browsing begins with conversations, learning, and planning instead of just typing keywords.

Together, these experiments suggest that Chrome’s New Tab Page is being rebuilt for an AI-first future. What has long been a static page with a search box could soon act more like an assistant, with contextual suggestions, action chips, and conversational input built in.

While these features are still hidden behind experimental flags and not yet live in Chrome Canary, it is likely they will appear across platforms over time, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS.

Google’s work on Realbox Next and NTP Next points to the browser’s next big change: an AI-powered New Tab Page. This could mean the end of Chrome’s traditional search bar, replaced by a start screen that reflects the future of browsing itself, where AI is the main entry point to the web.

That’s not all. Google has started using Gemini for automated Chrome code reviews, and Chrome may soon be able to tell websites about your device’s power status with the CPU Performance API.

Additionally, Google is enabling better graphics for Qualcomm Snapdragon Windows PCs by adding WebGPU support.