Google unveils Disco, a browser that creates apps for you
What's the story
Google's Chrome team has developed an experimental new browser called Disco. The unique feature of Disco is its ability to take a query or prompt and open several related tabs automatically. It even creates custom applications for specific tasks. For instance, if you ask for travel tips, it will create a planner app; if you need study help, it will generate a flashcard system.
Innovative features
Disco and GenTabs: A new approach to web browsing
Disco works with a feature called GenTabs, which are information-rich pages created by Gemini models. The recently-launched Gemini 3 can create interactive interfaces on the fly, instead of just providing text/images. With Disco, this capability becomes main function of your web browser. Parisa Tabriz, head of the Chrome team at Google, clarified that Disco is not meant to replace Chrome but to explore how users react when they go from having tabs to creating a personalized app for their needs.
User experience
Unique approach to user interaction
Disco is designed to encourage users to explore websites, unlike most AI browsers. The Chrome team found that many users would keep chatting without necessarily exploring the tabs and sources. To change this behavior, they decided to make regular tabs more visible in the hopes of getting users to add more information and research into their GenTab. This approach has already shown positive results in early data.
Uncertain prospects
The future of GenTabs and Disco
The future of GenTabs remains uncertain. Will they be permanent web apps with shareable URLs or temporary ones that disappear after closing? Tabriz isn't sure yet. However, she does think that both permanence and ephemerality could be supported, along with ways to extract important information from GenTabs into other tools like Google Workspace apps.