Google Search rolls out Gemini’s Canvas in AI Mode to all US users
Source: TechCrunch
Image Credits: Smith Collection/Gado / Getty Images
Date: March 4, 2026 (10:50 AM PST)
Expansion to U.S. Users
Google has expanded access to Canvas in AI Mode to all users in the United States (English language) after first launching the feature as part of its Google Labs experiments last year. The rollout follows the initial announcement in the Google AI Mode blog post.
What Canvas in AI Mode Can Do
Canvas in AI Mode is designed to help users:
- Organize and plan projects or conduct deeper research.
- Draft documents and create custom tools directly within Google Search.
- Build study guides by uploading class notes and other sources.
- Transform research reports into web pages, quizzes, or audio overviews (similar to Google’s Notebook LM).
- Generate code from a textual description, turning ideas into shareable apps or games.
- Refine creative writing drafts and receive feedback on projects.
The feature is already available in Gemini, where Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra subscribers have access to the latest model, Gemini 3, with a 1 million‑token context window for more complex projects.
Image Credits: Google
How to Use Canvas
- Open Google Search in AI Mode.
- Click the Canvas option ( + ) in the tool menu.
- Describe what you want to create.
- A Canvas side panel opens, allowing you to pull information from the web and Google’s Knowledge Graph.
- If building a prototype or app, you can:
- Test functionality.
- Toggle to view the underlying code.
- Refine the app by chatting with Gemini.
Image Credits: Google
Competition
Canvas competes with similar tools from rivals such as OpenAI and Anthropic:
- OpenAI’s Canvas is triggered automatically based on the query (announcement).
- Google and Anthropic’s Claude require more direct interaction to activate canvas‑like capabilities.
All three platforms allow users to get help with writing and turn ideas into functional projects.