Google has updated its support and developer documentation to specify the conditions required for Chrome’s local AI features, addressing criticism over secretive model downloads and storage use.
Google has updated its Chrome support and developer documentation to set out more clearly what is needed for the browser’s on-device AI features to install and run. The revised guidance says Chrome checks available storage, device performance and network conditions before downloading local AI models, which are used to power browser functions that run on the user’s own machine rather than in Google’s cloud.
According to Google’s support pages, the browser downloads these models for features including writing help, scam detection, webpage summaries and tab organisation. The company says users can remove the models through Chrome’s System settings, although doing so disables the features that depend on them. If the setting is turned back on, Chrome can download the models again, subject to connection quality and file size.
Google’s developer documentation goes further, stating that built-in AI APIs in Chrome are available on desktop versions of Windows 10 or 11, macOS 13 and later, Linux and ChromeOS. It also says devices need at least 22GB of free space on the volume that holds the Chrome profile, along with suitable CPU and GPU capability and an unmetered network connection before downloads begin. That is slightly higher than the roughly 20GB figure described in the support material, suggesting the requirement may vary by feature set or documentation page.
The clearer guidance follows criticism that Chrome was quietly placing a substantial local AI model on some devices without enough explanation. Reporting by TechRadar, Malwarebytes, PC Gamer and Computerworld described a roughly 4GB Gemini Nano package stored in Chrome profile files and linked it to features such as writing assistance and fraud protection. Their reporting also said the model could reappear after deletion, fuelling concerns about transparency, storage use and user control. Google’s updated documentation appears aimed at addressing those complaints by spelling out when the models are downloaded and what conditions must be met first.
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