It tends to are actually only used by developers, but the address bar and search box at the top of the Google Chrome interface have an official name: Omnibox. It reflects the versatile capabilities of this small text field, as it can do much more than just look up web addresses and perform searches on Google.

Knowing what Omnibox can do will help you save time and get things done faster when switching between different apps and websites. In addition, Google is constantly adding new functions to the Omnibox. Most recently, as expected, the company added an 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 enter into the Omnibox.

Chat with Gemini

We just mentioned the latest Chrome Omnibox upgrade, so we might as well start here: Type “@gemini” in the address bar, then a space, then your chatbot prompt. Blow Inputand the query is executed in Google Gemini. Chrome uses the version of Gemini included with your Google Account (i.e. Gemini Advanced if you’re a paid user).

Perform conversions

Any type of conversion you need is done for you by the powerful Omnibox: convert kilometers to miles, dollars to euros, or days to months. All you have to do is enter the desired conversion sensibly. Chrome is pretty good at figuring out what you want to do. So, for example, you can type “£34 to US Dollars” and Chrome will recognize that you are looking for a conversion. The result should appear immediately below – no need to press Enter.

Perform basic calculations

In this context, you can also perform simple calculations from Chrome Omnibox without having to press Enter. Anything like “24*8” or “352+91” will immediately display a result below it – as will “24*8-352+91” – and you can use parentheses if you want to get part of the total first. When you do this, press Input The full Chrome calculator then opens.

Check the weather

Do you want to know what the weather is like somewhere? Chrome will tell you.Courtesy of David Nield

Chrome can report live weather conditions via the Omnibox. Simply type “weather” (no need to press Enter) to see a brief description of the current conditions wherever you are. Note that this will only provide the most accurate result if Chrome has access to your current location. At the end, add a location or zip code to see the conditions in that location and click Input upon your request for a more detailed forecast.

Browse your bookmarks

You can browse your Chrome bookmarks directly in Omnibox without having to open the browser’s built-in bookmark manager. You’ll first need to enter the name of one of your bookmarks folders so Chrome knows what you want to do. You can then type any word or phrase to see instant results for the pages saved in that bookmark folder.

Take notes in Chrome

If you want to quickly jot down some thoughts in Chrome and don’t want to start a separate program, enter the code “data:text/html” followed by Input You will be given a blank tab to type something into. It’s not the most advanced text editor – there’s no formatting and no autosave – but it works well as a quick solution for jotting down notes.

Get quick definitions

If you’re not sure what a particular word means, Chrome can tell you and you don’t have to leave the page you’re on to find out the definition. Type “define,” then a space, then the word you want the meaning for, and a basic definition will appear below that. To return to the URL of the page you were viewing, press Esc to remove the definition.

Chrome 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 InputThe new file will be 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 according to your command.

There are a whole host of things that can be launched with new shortcuts, and Google continues to add new features.

Start new emails

There’s a similar trick to create new emails in the default email client on your computer: type “mailto:” and click Input to open a blank email. You can also pre-fill the “To:” field with the destination address by entering it after the colon if you know it. To set the default email client on Windows, select Apps > Default Apps from the settings; over on macOS, choose Mail > Settings > General from Apple Mail.

Do instant Google searches

For many Google searches, you will receive the answer above the list of links on the results page. These “instant” searches also work in Chrome. Ask about facts (like the height of the Eiffel Tower or the mass of Jupiter), the ages of celebrities, the days to a certain date, the current stock prices of a company, the size of countries, the authors of books, and so on.