Google Experiment „Disco“: Browser Turns Tabs into Interactive Web Apps
Google Labs introduces Disco, an experimental browser. Its „GenTabs“ are designed to automatically generate web apps from open tabs and chat histories.
Google's experimental browser „Disco“ generates web apps, here suggesting a visualization of entropy.
(Image: Screenshot heise medien)
Google Labs is introducing Disco, an experimental browser that showcases a new approach to using websites. The central feature, „GenTabs“, uses the Gemini 3 AI model to automatically create interactive web applications from currently open browser tabs and chat history. This is intended to enable users to tackle complex online tasks without having to write code themselves.
As Google announced on its official blog, GenTabs proactively analyzes open tabs and the chat history to understand the context of the current task. The system then generates suitable tools – for example, for travel planning or for preparing information for school projects. The generated applications can be further refined through natural language input.
The experimental browser is initially only available for macOS and is accessible via a waiting list. Google emphasizes that this is an early experiment and not all functions will work smoothly. Tester feedback is intended to shape further development – with successful concepts potentially flowing into larger Google products.
The parallels to Google's recent efforts for greater personalization are striking: Just a few days ago, the company announced the „preferred sources“ feature for Google Search, allowing users to prioritize their preferred websites. Both approaches aim to make the user experience more individual – albeit at the cost of extensive data analysis.
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Data Protection Concerns with Tab and Chat Analysis
The functionality of GenTabs raises data protection questions. To generate meaningful applications from browser tabs and chat history, the system must analyze this data. Google has not yet communicated in detail which information remains on the device and which is transferred to Google servers for processing. There is also a lack of public information on specific authorization mechanisms that explicitly ask users for consent before data processing.
It also remains unclear whether the generated web applications are executed locally in the browser or if server-side processing is required. Google merely points out that all generated elements link to original sources from the web – which should at least ensure a certain degree of transparency and traceability. Users can therefore theoretically view the original sources of the information used.
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Gemini 3 as the Technical Basis
The AI model Gemini 3 is intended not only to understand the intent behind open tabs but also to proactively suggest useful generative applications that users might not have thought of themselves. The web apps are generated without programming knowledge, purely through descriptions of the apps' functionality and appearance.
According to Google, early testers are already using GenTabs for various scenarios, from creating weekly meal plans and planning trips to Japan during cherry blossom season, to preparing astronomical knowledge for primary school students.
With Disco, Google is pursuing an experimental approach that extends the classic browser paradigm of passive content display towards active, context-aware assistance. Whether market-ready products will emerge from this or whether the project will remain in the laboratory phase will depend significantly on user feedback and practical validation. Interested parties can register for the waiting list on the project page.
(vza)
