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# ChatGPT Can Now See and Control Your Chrome Tabs
- URL: https://digirolla.com/chatgpt-can-now-see-and-control-your-chrome-tabs/
- Published: 2026-10-16T18:53:40.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-16T19:54:00.000Z
- Description: OpenAI's updated ChatGPT browser extension can use your open tabs as context and take actions inside them, from filling out forms to organizing tab clutter.
- Author: Digirolla
- Tags: OpenAI

OpenAI has rolled out a major update to the ChatGPT extension for Google Chrome. ChatGPT can now use the context of your open browser tabs to answer questions, and it can take control of those tabs to complete tasks for you.

The company detailed the update in a thread on X this week, and the extension is available now in the Chrome Web Store.

## What the extension can do

According to OpenAI, ChatGPT can control your Chrome tabs to get things done, such as sending messages, filling out forms, or downloading files. It can also help organize and group large numbers of open tabs.

The update also adds a sidebar, so you can work with ChatGPT next to the page you are viewing. OpenAI's documentation says you can ask about the current page, mention a specific open tab to use it as context, or highlight text on a page and bring that selection into a chat.

OpenAI's example prompts show the kind of work the feature is aimed at:

- Putting vendors from several open tabs into a comparison sheet with pricing, key features and source links.
- Comparing contractor services across open tabs and drafting an email to one of them.
- Filling out a new-patient form that is open in Chrome and adding the appointment to a calendar.

## It works on sites where you are signed in

OpenAI's help documentation says ChatGPT can read or act on sites where you are already signed in, such as LinkedIn, Salesforce, Gmail or internal tools. Website permissions can be changed through the extension's Manage option.

## Not just Chrome

The extension works with five browsers: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi. All five support tab mentions and browser control from the ChatGPT desktop app. Chrome, Edge, Brave and Vivaldi also support the side chat; Opera does not, so tasks for Opera start in the desktop app.

## How to set it up

Per OpenAI's documentation, setup runs through the ChatGPT desktop app:

1. Open **Settings > Computer Use** in the ChatGPT desktop app (expand *More browsers* if your browser is not listed).
2. Select **Install** next to your browser to open its extension store page, then install the ChatGPT extension.
3. Return to Computer Use and confirm the browser shows **Manage**.
4. Start a ChatGPT Work or Codex chat and choose your browser with an @-mention, for example `@Chrome`.

Use the same browser profile where the extension is installed.

## Why it matters

The update moves ChatGPT from answering questions about the web to acting inside the browser itself. The sidebar design is similar to Google's own built-in Gemini integration in Chrome, as 9to5Google noted.

## Sources

- [OpenAI: ChatGPT browser extension documentation](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/chrome-extension?ref=digirolla.com)
- [9to5Google: ChatGPT gets deeper Google Chrome integration](https://9to5google.com/2026/10/16/chatgpt-gets-deeper-google-chrome-integration-including-control-over-tabs/?ref=digirolla.com)
- [The Verge: ChatGPT can peek at your Chrome tabs now](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1012510/openai-chatgpt-google-chrome-tabs?ref=digirolla.com)
- [Engadget: ChatGPT can now look at your Chrome tabs](https://www.engadget.com/2288580/open-ai-updates-chatgpt-extension-for-chrome/?ref=digirolla.com)
- [OpenAI ChatGPT on X](https://x.com/ChatGPT/status/2110823738531037651?ref=digirolla.com)