ChatGPT Chrome extension can now read your open browser tabs

OpenAI has rolled out an update to ChatGPT's Google Chrome extension that lets the assistant read the tabs a user has open in the browser. The feature, announced as of October 16, 2026, is triggered by typing the @chrome tag in ChatGPT's web or desktop app, after which the assistant can analyse the content of the open pages directly.

What OpenAI says it can do

In examples shared by the company, a user asks ChatGPT to weigh seating options spread across three separate tabs. The extension can also complete registration forms using details pulled from an event summary, and OpenAI says it asks the user to confirm before finishing, an approach meant to reduce mistakes.

Other scenarios include turning vendor information found in the browser into a comparison table with pricing, key features and source links. For a home renovation, ChatGPT can review contractor services open in several tabs, pick the most suitable option and draft an email. Before a dental appointment, it can fill in the open forms and add the booking to both a work and a personal calendar.

Redesigned side panel and tab control

The update also brings a refreshed side panel, giving users access to ChatGPT's full set of capabilities and their chat history without leaving the page they are viewing.

Users on ChatGPT Work get an additional option: letting the assistant control browser tabs. In that mode ChatGPT can carry out actions such as sending messages or downloading files, and it can organise and group open tabs. The capability resembles the Gemini-powered automatic browsing feature Google offers in Chrome.

The browser has become a key battleground for AI companies as assistants move from answering questions to acting on a user's behalf. That shift promises time savings, but giving a chatbot visibility into every open tab, which may hold personal or corporate data, also raises fresh questions about privacy and security that users will need to weigh.