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Chrome Nano (on-device AI)
LingoLark can use Gemini Nano—Chrome’s on-device language model—for automatic English glosses when you save phrases. Prompts stay on your machine; they are not sent to LingoLark’s servers for translation.
Nano is one of three Translation model choices in the toolbar popup (along with Ollama and Manual entry).
What Nano is
Nano here means Google Gemini Nano, exposed in Chrome through the browser’s built-in AI APIs (LanguageModel). Chrome—not LingoLark—downloads and stores the model on your device. LingoLark only asks Chrome to run translation prompts when Nano is already available in that browser profile.
Current availability (important)
Today, Nano is only usable if Chrome already has it ready on your device.
In the extension popup, Nano appears in the Translation model dropdown only when Chrome reports the model as available (or, in some builds, when a download could be started from the popup—see below). If your browser or hardware does not support Nano, the option stays disabled and you may see a short status message such as “Nano is not supported in this browser” or “Nano not supported in this Chrome/device.”
You do not install Nano through Ollama or Docker. There is no separate LingoLark server to configure for this backend.
Typical ways Nano becomes ready before LingoLark
- Your Chrome channel and version already include on-device AI and list Nano as available.
- You (or your organization) have already downloaded or enabled the on-device model through Chrome settings or other Chrome UI—not through LingoLark.
Requirements vary by Chrome release, operating system, and device (memory, GPU, etc.). Check Google’s documentation for Gemini in Chrome / built-in AI for your platform if Nano never appears.
Using Nano in LingoLark
- Confirm Nano is selectable in the LingoLark popup under Translation model (not greyed out).
- Choose Nano.
- Save phrases as usual from the side panel or Save to LingoLark context menu.
If Nano is selected but not actually ready, saves may fall back or show errors depending on the release; when in doubt, switch to Ollama or Manual entry.
Download through LingoLark (coming soon)
LingoLark is working on letting you start Chrome’s Nano download from an extension action in the popup (with clear disclosure that Chrome handles storage and network use).
That flow is not fully enabled for everyone yet. In current builds, in-extension download prompts may be turned off even when Chrome would allow a download—so you should plan on pre-installing or enabling Nano in Chrome first, not relying on LingoLark alone to fetch the model.
When the feature ships, this page will be updated with step-by-step instructions.
How Nano compares to Ollama
| Nano | Ollama (guide) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the model | Chrome (browser-managed) | Ollama on your computer |
| Setup | Must already be ready in Chrome today | Install Ollama + pull qwen2.5:3b |
| Extension’s role | Call Chrome’s local AI APIs | Call http://127.0.0.1:11434 on your machine |
| Best when | Supported Chrome + Nano already available | You want a predictable local stack you control |
You can switch backends anytime in the popup; uninstalling Ollama does not remove Nano from Chrome, and vice versa.
Troubleshooting
“Nano” is greyed out or missing
- Update Google Chrome to a recent stable (or supported preview) build.
- Confirm your device meets Chrome’s on-device AI requirements.
- Open Chrome’s settings or help pages for on-device / Gemini features and ensure the model is installed or enabled there first.
- Reload LingoLark at
chrome://extensionsand open the popup again.
Nano was available and stopped working
- A Chrome update may have changed model state; check Chrome’s AI / model status.
- Try another translation backend temporarily (Ollama or Manual entry).
Privacy
Translation prompts for Nano are handled by Chrome’s on-device APIs on your machine. Review LingoLark’s Privacy Policy and Google’s Chrome AI documentation for how each product treats your data.
Further reading
- AI Models — compare LingoLark model options
- Install Ollama — local translations via Ollama
- Glossary — terms used in the app
- Chrome built-in AI / LanguageModel — browser capability Nano depends on