How to Make the Most of Google Bard Extensions
Google Bard is a chatbot that can access real-time information from the internet for free. However, it has its limitations and cannot perform certain tasks like booking hotels or checking emails. That's where Google Bard extensions come in. With extensions, you can connect different services to Bard and expand its capabilities. In this article, we will explain what extensions are and how to enable and use them on Google Bard.
What are Extensions on Google Bard
Extensions allow Google Bard to connect with various third-party services, enhancing its overall functionality. For example, by enabling the Google Workspace extension, Bard can access your emails and summarize the latest unread emails. It can also book flights and hotels, among other things.
However, at the moment, Bard only supports Google extensions. The number of extensions available should increase when Google opens up the platform to third-party developers.
How to Enable/Disable Extensions on Google Bard
Before enabling extensions, it's important to note that Bard can access any information from the app you are connecting the extension to. For example, when you enable the Google Workspace extension, Bard can access your emails, documents, and files in your Google Drive. Google claims that they do not use any of that data for ads or improving Bard.
To enable/disable extensions on Google Bard, open Google Bard and click on the Extensions icon (puzzle piece icon) in the top bar. On the extensions page, you will see all the extensions supported by Google Bard. Simply enable/disable the toggle beside the extension you want to enable. There is no limit to how many extensions you can enable on Bard.
How to Use Extensions on Google Bard
Unlike other chatbots, using extensions on Google Bard is seamless and works as intended. Simply start a new chat or open an existing one and ask any question that may require Bard to use one of the extensions.
For example, you can ask Bard to “Find hotels for a 4-day trip to San Francisco for New Year's Eve.” Bard will automatically use the Google Hotels extension to show results. Once enabled, Bard will automatically use extensions as and when needed.
You can also tag the extension in your prompt for Bard to use it. Just type the “@” symbol in the chatbox and select the extension from the pop-up. Then, ask a specific question and Bard will use the mentioned extension to provide the results.
For example, you can say “@Google Drive find the file named Resume 2023 and summarize it in simple sentences.” Mentioning the extension in the prompt ensures that Bard uses the exact same extension to provide the result.
Additionally, you can use multiple extensions in a single prompt. For example, you can ask something like “@Google Maps Find some of the best beaches in Chennai and book a hotel near the beach using @Google Hotels.” This prompt will use Google Maps to find the best beaches in Chennai and then use Google Hotels to recommend hotels near each beach.
Unlike other chatbots where you can only use a limited number of plugins in a conversation, you can use as many extensions as you want in a conversation on Bard. You can also use multiple extensions in a single prompt, and Bard will use them all as needed to answer the prompt.
One noteworthy feature is that you can check which extensions Bard used to answer the prompt by clicking on the drop-down at the top of the result. If you don't want Bard to use extensions for a particular prompt, you can click on the drop-down and select the “Try again without extensions” option. This gives you complete control over how answers are generated by Bard.
Bringing Extensions to Google Bard
The ultimate purpose of chatbots like Google Bard is to act as personal assistants. These bots should be able to access various services and data to perform specific tasks for you. Extensions help Bard achieve this by providing access to different services and streamlining tasks.
Once a conversation is over, you can easily share that Google Bard conversation with others if you want. The process is simple and quick.
In conclusion, Google Bard extensions enhance the capabilities of the chatbot by allowing it to connect with various third-party services. By enabling and using extensions, you can make the most of Google Bard and have a more seamless and efficient chatbot experience.

Jim's passion for Apple products ignited in 2007 when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. This was a canon event in his life. Noticing a lack of iPad-focused content that is easy to understand even for “tech-noob”, he decided to create Tabletmonkeys in 2011.
Jim continues to share his expertise and passion for tablets, helping his audience as much as he can with his motto “One Swipe at a Time!”