Free AI sidebar using Chrome’s built-in local AI. Chat with any page, summarize, translate — private, no account. Ollama & BYO key.
Users
72
+9 in 30 days
Rating
5.0 / 5
unchanged in 30 days
Ratings
1
0 in 30 days
Store rank
#95K
#80K among extensions
Version
3.2.10
updated 20 Jul 2026
Users
monthly, 2 years
Latest, 19 Oct 2026:72 usersMove the mouse over the chart for any month
Ratings count
monthly, 2 years
Latest, 19 Oct 2026:1 ratingsMove the mouse over the chart for any month
The Chrome Web Store rounds user counts down to the leading digit, so the user line moves in steps. The ratings count is exact and is the better signal of real adoption.
About Cognito — AI sidebar: Built-in AI, Ollama, OpenAI & Gemini
Cognito — the AI sidebar that uses the local AI already built into your browser
Chrome now ships with an on-device AI model (Gemini Nano). Cognito turns it into a full assistant: chat with any page, summarize articles, rewrite text, and translate — free, no account, no API key, and your data never leaves your machine.
Machine can't run the local model? Cognito detects that automatically and falls back to the free Cognito Cloud tier, so it works on any computer.
WAYS TO RUN AI — your choice, switchable anytime:
• Built-in AI (Gemini Nano) — local, private, zero cost. Needs Chrome 138+, a capable GPU, and ~22 GB free disk for a one-time download.
• Cognito Cloud — free tier, just sign in. No key, no setup.
• Ollama — run Llama, Gemma, DeepSeek and more, 100% locally.
• Your own API key — OpenAI, Google Gemini, Groq, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
🗨️ Chat with any page — the AI reads the page for you; streaming, multi-turn.
📄 One-click summaries — articles, posts, video transcripts, plus an interactive mind-map view.
📝 Writing tools — select text anywhere to rewrite, proofread, simplify, or translate.
🔍 AI Highlights — instantly surface the key sentences on a page.
🌐 Translation — selected text or whole pages, side-by-side bilingual view.
🛡️ Privacy Shield — detect and mask names, emails, phone numbers, and financial data before they leave your screen.
🖱️ Right-click menu — summarize, explain, or translate any selection.
WHY PEOPLE PICK COGNITO
✅ Private by default — on-device AI or local Ollama means zero data leakage.
✅ Free to use — built-in AI and the Cloud free tier cost nothing.
✅ Your models, your choice — switch providers per task.
GETTING STARTED
1. Install and click the Cognito icon to open the sidebar.
2. Pick how to run AI — Cognito recommends the best option for your machine.
3. Ask anything about the page you're on.
Growth
Window
Users
Change
Ratings
Rating
7 days
+8
+12.5%
0
0.00
30 days
+9
+14.3%
0
0.00
6 months
−8
−10.0%
0
0.00
1 year
+34
+89.5%
0
0.00
Chrome Web Store search rankings
Where Cognito — AI sidebar: Built-in AI, Ollama, OpenAI & Gemini appears when people search the store, with the 30 day change