Google expands Gemini Canvas feature in AI Mode to all Search users in the United States

Google has expanded the availability of Canvas in AI Mode to all users in the United States using English, following its initial debut last year as part of Google Labs experiments.

Canvas in AI Mode is meant to help people organise ideas, plan projects, and explore topics in greater depth. Google said in a blog post that the feature now includes support for drafting documents and building custom tools directly inside Google Search.

Google previously highlighted use cases such as creating a study guide by uploading class notes and related materials. The feature can also handle additional tasks, including converting a research report into a web page, a quiz, or an audio overview, which overlaps with Google’s research-focused tool Notebook LM.

Users can describe an idea in Canvas and watch it generate the code needed to turn that concept into a shareable app or game. The feature can also help improve creative writing drafts and provide feedback on ongoing projects.

Canvas is already offered inside Gemini, where subscribers to Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra can use the newest model, Gemini 3, along with a larger 1 million-token context window designed for more advanced and complex work.

With Canvas now available to all U.S. users through Google’s AI-powered search experience, AI Mode, many more people will discover the feature, including users who may not yet have explored Gemini’s broader capabilities. That reflects one of Google’s major strengths in the AI competition — Google Search gives the company a direct path to place its tools in front of billions of users.

To access Canvas, users must select the new Canvas option from the tool menu (+) in AI Mode, then describe what they want to build. Doing so opens a Canvas side panel where users can gather information from the web and Google’s Knowledge Graph. If they are building a prototype or app, they can test how it works, switch views to inspect the underlying code, and continue refining the experience by chatting with Gemini.

Canvas competes with similar offerings from competitors such as OpenAI and Anthropic. ChatGPT’s Canvas feature, however, is triggered automatically depending on the user’s query, while Google’s tool and Anthropic’s Claude typically require more deliberate interaction. Both platforms also help users with writing and turn ideas into more developed projects.