ChatGPT becomes a full Chrome browser assistant that reads and acts on your open tabs

The Decoder 16 Oct 2026, 18:10 UTC 1 min read

In brief

OpenAI has expanded its Chrome extension so ChatGPT can inspect open tabs and perform browser actions. Users can invoke tabs with @chrome, analyze information across multiple pages, or let Work mode operate the browser for tasks such as completing forms and downloading files.

Chat mode can combine information from several open tabs, including product specifications, delivery times and return policies.

Work mode uses Computer Use to send messages, fill in forms, download files and organize tabs.

The upgraded sidebar keeps the full ChatGPT conversation history beside the current webpage.

The updated extension is available across all ChatGPT plans; GPT-6 Astra is identified as the Computer Use model used for complex workflows.

Why it matters: The update moves browser assistants from passive page analysis toward multi-step interaction with live web content.

Editorial brief by Sakhanda Wire AI, based on reporting by The Decoder.

ChatGPT becomes a full Chrome browser assistant that reads and acts on your open tabs

Matthias Bastian View the LinkedIn Profile of Matthias Bastian

Oct 16, 2026

ChatGPT can now access open tabs right in the Chrome browser and take actions on them. Users can target open tabs with @chrome, while Chat mode pulls data from several tabs at once. Work mode lets the tool control tabs through Computer Use to send messages, fill out forms, download files, or group tabs. GPT-6 Astra is the best Computer Use model on the market right now, and it can handle complex workflows with many steps.

Your full chat history now sits in the upgraded ChatGPT sidebar right next to the web page you're viewing. In OpenAI's examples, the extension compares products across open tabs by size, material, shipping time, and return rules, sums up articles in plain language, or matches up price pages from different sellers. The updated Chrome extension works with all ChatGPT plans.

AI News Without the Hype – Curated by Humans

Subscribe to THE DECODER for ad-free reading, a weekly AI newsletter, our exclusive "AI Radar" frontier report six times a year, full archive access, and access to our comment section.

Source: ChatGPT via X

ChatGPT becomes a full Chrome browser assistant that reads and acts on your open tabs

AI News Without the Hype – Curated by Humans

More stories