Google is making it a lot easier to hit “record” without breaking your flow in the browser. With the new Google Vids Screen Recorder Chrome extension, you can start a screen recording straight from the Chrome toolbar, no need to first open Google Vids in a separate tab or dig through menus.

Once installed, the extension lives alongside your other Chrome extensions; a single click lets you record any tab or your entire screen, which is handy for quick walkthroughs, bug reports, explainer videos, or async status updates. Recordings can run up to 30 minutes, matching Google Vids’ current project limits, so you’re not forced to rush through longer demos or deep-dive explanations.

The workflow is simple: record from wherever you are in Chrome, finish your capture, then open the video in Google Vids to trim, polish, add text or layouts, and share like any other Vids project. That tight integration means the extension is less a standalone tool and more a front door into Google Vids’ AI-assisted editing and collaboration features for teams already living in Workspace.

Availability is broad: the screen recorder is free for all Google Workspace customers and even personal Google accounts, and it’s already rolling out to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains via the Chrome Web Store. Admins can go a step further by force‑installing and auto‑pinning the extension for their organization, making sure users see it in the toolbar without any setup friction.

For individual users, the setup is straightforward: grab the extension from the Chrome Web Store, add it to Chrome, and pin it so it’s always one click away when inspiration strikes or when you need to quickly show, not tell. Combined with the recent boost to 30‑minute Vids projects and recordings, the extension turns Chrome into a more capable recording hub for educators, support teams, product managers, and anyone who prefers dropping a link to a short video instead of writing another long email.