OpenAI recently made a significant upgrade to the ChatGPT browser extension. The new version allows users to directly “name” Chrome in a ChatGPT conversation, so the assistant can read the opened web page tabs as context, thereby comparing page content, organizing information, or taking over tasks in the browser. The official scenarios listed are very practical: comparing prices and features of several suppliers, creating tables, pre-filling forms, and even drafting emails based on web page information.
The side bar that comes with it is also much more useful—when browsing web pages, you can expand ChatGPT at any time, and the conversation history is preserved throughout. The advanced ChatGPT Work feature, however, allows direct control over tabs: filling out forms, sending messages, uploading files, and organizing messy tabs are all straightforward. This capability isn’t limited to Chrome; Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi also support it. Opera can adjust tabs and control the browser, but it lacks the side bar. As for whether it works, it depends on the desktop version, workspace settings, and the grayscale mode setting.
Permissions are not fully open, and the Atlas decommissioned data is not transferred along with it
OpenAI clearly defines the boundaries: expansion does not allow free browsing of all web pages by default. When installing, broader browser permissions are requested, but before the assistant operates a new website for the first time, permission is asked by default. Users can choose one option—allow access only this time, allow access only to that site, or give full permission. Accessing browsing history requires separate authorization. For pages that require login, it can use your current login state, but the official guidelines still remind users: the content of the page, permission pop-ups, and key actions such as submission and sending must be reviewed by the user themselves.
This upgrade comes right after the removal of the ChatGPT Atlas browser. OpenAI has confirmed that Atlas will no longer be updated or supported, but the open tabs, bookmarks, and history within it will not automatically transfer to browsers such as Chrome. The purpose of the new extension is to integrate ChatGPT into users’ existing browsing habits, rather than transferring the entire Atlas environment over—if you want to use it, you need to reinstall it in your preferred browser and grant it new permissions.