OpenAI has updated its ChatGPT Chrome extension so the chatbot can access the browser's open tabs and answer questions or make decisions based on them during a conversation. To enable the feature, users simply select Chrome in their ChatGPT conversation; this works whether the user is interacting with the chat in the browser or via the desktop app.
As a result, ChatGPT can see the open Chrome browser windows and compare information across pages or suggest which product to buy from available options, cited as an example by OpenAI. In practice, the capability can be used to evaluate or query essentially any content present in the open tabs.
Sidebar: full chatbot functionality and persistent view
The ChatGPT sidebar that can be pinned in Chrome has also been updated: it now contains the chatbot's full functionality and keeps the current conversation visible even when switching between tabs. This change aims to make continuous work or information lookup in the browser more convenient.
Installation and privacy notes
OpenAI did not provide detailed rollout information; since this is a browser extension, the new features will likely arrive through an automatic update of the extension. The announcement was made in a ChatGPT social post.
Why it matters
The update aligns with OpenAI's apparent preference to integrate ChatGPT into widely used applications rather than develop a standalone browser after the Astra project setback. Practically, the extension lets the chatbot respond directly to the user's browsing context and open sources, enabling faster and more targeted answers.
