AI Summary - Smart Content Summarization
Our AI Summary feature automatically creates intelligent summaries of your highlighted content and web pages. It analyzes your highlights, notes, and the page content to generate concise summaries in different formats using Chrome's built-in AI technology.
First Time Setup
If you use our AI features for the first time, your browser will download the AI model. This may take 5-30 minutes depending on your internet connection. Keep your browser open during the download. Sometimes, a browser restart is required after download. Monitor your download progress at: chrome://on-device-internals/ → "Model Status"
Not seeing the button? Your browser might be outdated or does not support AI features. Check our troubleshooting guide for more information.
How It Works
Our AI Summary feature uses Chrome's built-in Summarizer API to process your content locally on your device. Here's what happens:
- Local AI Processing - All AI work happens on your computer, not on remote servers
- Smart Content Analysis - The AI analyzes your highlights, notes, and webpage content together
- Real-time Generation - Summaries are created as you watch, with streaming updates
- Multiple Formats - Choose from different summary styles and lengths
How to Use
- Open the sidebar on any webpage
- Click the "AI summary" button (only visible if your browser meets the requirements)
- Wait for the summary - it will appear below your highlights
Summary Types & Formats
The AI can create summaries in different styles based on your needs:
- Key Points - Main takeaways from your content (default)
- Headline - A brief title that captures the essence
- TL;DR - "Too Long; Didn't Read" version for quick overview
- Teaser - An engaging preview to draw readers in
Each type comes in three lengths:
- Short - Quick overview (1-3 points)
- Medium - Balanced detail (3-5 points)
- Long - Comprehensive coverage (5-7 points)
Technical Requirements
The AI Summary button only appears when your browser and system meet certain requirements. Check our browser requirements guide for detailed specifications.
Privacy & Performance Benefits
- 100% Private - All processing happens on your device, no data sent to servers
- No Internet Required - Works offline once the model is downloaded
- Fast Results - Summaries generate in seconds after setup
- Local AI Model - Uses Chrome's built-in Gemini Nano model for reliable performance
Understanding Local AI Models
Local AI models work differently from online AI services:
- Model Download: The first time you use AI Summary, Chrome downloads a large AI model (several GB) to your device
- Download Time: This can take 5-30 minutes depending on your internet speed
- Storage Space: The model requires significant storage but enables offline AI processing
- Performance: Once downloaded, summaries generate quickly without internet delays
Summarize YouTube Videos
AI Summary works with YouTube highlighting too. When you open a YouTube video transcript in Web Highlights, you can generate an AI summary of the entire video content — useful for quickly deciding whether a long video is worth watching.
- Open a YouTube video and highlight the transcript (see YouTube Highlighting)
- Open the sidebar — the transcript text appears as highlights
- Click the AI Summary button
- The AI analyzes the transcript and generates a summary
This pairs well with the AI Chat feature, where you can ask follow-up questions about the video content.
AI Summary vs AI Chat
Both features use Chrome's built-in AI, but they serve different purposes:
| AI Summary | AI Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Quick overview of a page | Deep-dive questions about content |
| Output | Structured summary (key points, TL;DR, etc.) | Conversational Q&A |
| Interaction | One-click generation | Back-and-forth dialogue |
| Use case | "What is this article about?" | "What evidence supports the author's claim in paragraph 3?" |
Use AI Summary when you need a fast overview. Switch to AI Chat when you want to explore specific parts of the content in depth.
Tips for Better Summaries
- Highlight the important parts first — The AI weighs your highlights more heavily than the full page content, so highlighting key passages produces more focused summaries
- Try different summary types — If "Key Points" is too detailed, switch to "TL;DR" for a one-liner; use "Teaser" when you want to share an enticing preview
- Adjust the length — Short summaries work well for quick triage; Long summaries capture nuance for research
- Combine with notes — After generating a summary, add your own notes to capture what the AI missed or what you want to emphasize
Troubleshooting
If you're having issues with AI Summary, visit our troubleshooting guide for detailed solutions to common problems.
Common Questions
Can I summarize a YouTube video without watching it?
Yes. Open the video in Web Highlights using YouTube highlighting, then click AI Summary. The AI processes the full transcript and gives you a summary — no watching required.
Does the AI send my data to external servers?
No. AI Summary uses Chrome's built-in Gemini Nano model, which runs entirely on your device. Your highlights, notes, and page content never leave your computer.
Why don't I see the AI Summary button?
Your browser may not support Chrome's built-in AI features. Check our troubleshooting guide for browser requirements and setup steps.
Can I edit or regenerate a summary?
You can generate a new summary at any time by clicking the AI Summary button again. Each generation replaces the previous summary. You can also adjust the summary type and length before generating.
Is AI Summary available on all plans?
AI Summary is available on Ultimate plans and during the free trial. Since it runs locally on your device, there are no per-query costs. Compare plans →