Google has focused on AI throughout 2023, and the tech has improved the company’s software services, and by association, its Pixel phones. For instance, thePixel 8 seriescan use AI to generate unique andcustomizable wallpapers. Now, a Chrome feature researcher suggests Google is thinking along similar lines to take the Chrome browser’s personalization game to the next level.
Chrome has witnessedsignificant change to its UI designin recent months. On Android, version 121 released for beta testers in December features Material Design 3 toggles, while version 120 on the desktop was used to test pinning Side Panels to the toolbar. One of these side panels, labeledCustomize Chrome, includes multiple options to define the theme color for the browser and the website shortcuts shown on the new tab page (NTP).
In the latest stable version, you’re able to set the color scheme to follow that of your device, or stick with an independent color scheme. The panel also has controls for Dark mode to follow the system settings or stay fixed in either light or dark mode. Now, Chrome feature spotter@Leopeva64 on X(formerly Twitter) has shared several tweets demonstrating how Google plans to enhance customization options in this side panel with AI.
In December, we reported that thewallpaper picker in Chromewas renamed toCreate theme with AIwithin the Customize Chrome side panel. Now, we have a clearer understanding of how these theming options will work, and it’s pleasantly similar to how AI wallpaper generation works on the Pixel 8. You start by picking a subject from a drop-down list. The list is divided into categories, with multiple objects available underneath each category. The primary categories areBuildings,Everyday Objects,Food,Landscape,Materials,Nature,Rooms,Science and Technology,Space,US Cities and Parks,Vehicles, andWonders. Say, you select the Everyday Objects category — options for subjects includeBed,Candle,Desk,Light bulb,Table,Vase, etc.
There are many options to select the subject of your AI-generated theme
After selecting your subject, you may choose toadd optional detailsfrom another drop-down menu. Options are comparable to the image generation parameters available for AI image generators, like DallE and Midjourney. Your choice will determine the visual style of the AI-generated art, and available choices for optional details include3D Animation,3D Geometric,Colored Pencil,Cyberpunk,Oil Painting,Photography, etc.
The penultimate step is to use the third drop-down in the side panel to pick an adjective to describe the result you’re looking for. The list is really long, with options includingRomantic,Autumn,Creative,Dark,Winter,Whimsical,Orderly, etc. Just underneath the drop-down, Google has included a color picker to choose the predominant color you want in the image, because it would influence the color scheme for Chrome. Then, you just hit theCreatebutton, wait a while, and pick from one of the (possibly) six AI-generated images.
Chrome will also allow picking the style, overall emotion, and color scheme of the wallpaper
This is an impressively deep level of personalization offered, when you consider that it is, after all, a web browser. The feat is even more impressive when you consider that billions of people who use Chrome will experiment with this customization, and that comes at a great operating cost. You could create an image of an orange vase styled like a happy oil painting, or a dark cyberpunk image of a pink candle, but as of December 9, Leopeva couldn’t get theCreatebutton in this panel to spit wallpapers out.
Inspirationcan give you a head-start on using an AI-generated wallpaper
Although the image generator has plenty of options with the potential for creative combinations, the going lists may seem overwhelming or time-consuming for something like a browser theme. To address this, Google is also developing anInspirationsection in the sameCustomize Chromepanel, placed right underneath theCreatebutton for AI image generation. In the current version of Chrome Canary, you’re able to get this panel to show up by enabling the following flag:
chrome://flags/#customize-chrome-wallpaper-search-inspiration-card
As the name suggests, this section curates a few pre-generated wallpaper suggestions to show what’s possible with the AI image generator. Once the feature goes live, you should be able to pick one of these wallpapers and apply it immediately as well. These suggestions should take all the effort out of creating a custom Chrome theme from scratch.
This section should take all the effort out of creating a truly personal Chrome theme. However, if you want to enjoy experimenting with the image generator, Leopeva says Google should add a toggle to turn off the inspiration panel in an upcoming update, alongside more inspirations. However, there’s no telling when this feature will be ready for prime time. We suppose if it is showing up in Chrome Canary, it should come to the stable version in a few months, provided all goes well.
