You can open AI Chat directly from the omnibox, the address bar at the top of Shift. Depending on your setup, AI Chat appears in one of two ways: Dropdown mode or Shimmer mode. Only one mode is active at a time. Both modes let you easily move between opening a website, running a search, or asking the AI, all without leaving the omnibox.
**AI has been released to a Beta group and may not yet be available to all Shift users.
What you’ll see when you type
When you click into the omnibox and start typing, a dropdown opens with suggestions related to your input. These suggestions can include search, AI Chat, a top suggestion, and other items from your history and bookmarks. The order of these options may change based on what you type and the active AI Chat mode.
When AI Chat appears
As you type, Shift evaluates whether your input looks more like a question or a destination. If your input resembles a question, AI Chat is surfaced more prominently. If it looks like a website or app name, search and site suggestions take priority instead. This behavior is automatic in both modes and requires no configuration.
Two ways AI Chat can show up
Shift supports two layouts for showing AI Chat in the omnibox. Both provide access to the same AI Chat experience, but they differ in how AI Chat is presented and selected.
Shimmer mode (Default)
In Shimmer mode, AI Chat does not appear as a selectable item in the dropdown list. Instead, the omnibox displays a shortcut hint that reads Ask AI [Tab].
When Shift determines that AI Chat is especially relevant to what you are typing, this hint may briefly shimmer. The shimmer is only a visual cue. AI Chat remains available through the shortcut even when the hint is not animated.
To open AI Chat in Shimmer mode, press Tab while the omnibox is active. AI Chat opens immediately without requiring you to select an item or press Enter.
If you are on a new tab page, AI Chat opens in the same tab. If you are on an existing website, AI Chat opens in a new tab so your current page remains open.
Dropdown mode
In Dropdown mode, AI Chat appears directly in the suggestion list under the omnibox. It is displayed alongside Search and other suggestions and can be selected like any other item.
When your input appears to be a question, AI Chat is listed before Search. When your input appears as a destination, Search appears first, and AI Chat is listed below. This ordering helps surface the most relevant option while keeping all choices visible.
You can open AI Chat by clicking it in the dropdown menu or by using the keyboard shortcut. Press Tab to move between the top options in the list, then press Enter when AI Chat is highlighted. You can scroll the dropdown at any time to see additional suggestions.
Inline autocomplete and AI Chat
Inline autocomplete may appear when the omnibox is confident about how to complete what you are typing. The suggested completion appears directly in the input field.
In Shimmer mode, pressing Tab while autocomplete is visible first accepts the completion and then opens AI Chat using the completed text. In Dropdown mode, you can accept the autocomplete by pressing Enter or the right arrow before selecting AI Chat from the list.
“Top suggestion”
When the omnibox is very confident about what you are trying to open, it highlights a single result as the Top suggestion and places it at the top of the list.
When a Top suggestion is present, it appears above Search and AI Chat. If there is no clear best match, no Top suggestion is shown, and the omnibox presents options in a more neutral order.
Keyboard behavior
The same keyboard shortcuts work in both modes, with slight differences in behavior.
Press Enter to open the highlighted suggestion or run a search. Press Tab to cycle through top options in Dropdown mode or to open AI Chat directly in Shimmer mode. Press Escape (Esc) to close the dropdown and exit the current omnibox interaction.
Related Articles:
How the Intelligent Omnibox ranks results in Shift
Have a question that wasn't answered above? Click to access our request form and get in touch with our Support team.