ChatGPT in Chrome can now read and control your tabs

What changed

The official ChatGPT account on X framed it as bringing computer use to anyone who uses Chrome. In Chat, the model looks across your open tabs and gathers information for its answer. In Work, it can control them: send messages, fill out forms, download files and even group a pile of open tabs (ChatGPT on X).

The second change is side chat inside a tab. Your full ChatGPT history is there, with Chat and Work side by side while you are on a site. In a follow-up post, OpenAI said the extension is available on all ChatGPT plans (ChatGPT on X). TopFive, citing PiunikaWeb, reports that Work mode requires at least a Plus subscription, which conflicts with OpenAI's post.

OpenAI's examples include comparing products open in several tabs, checking pricing pages against a list of requirements, filling in a registration form from an event brief while stopping before submission, and moving vendor details into a comparison sheet.

How it works

According to the help docs, the extension works with the ChatGPT desktop app in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi. Setup happens in the desktop app under Settings > Computer Use. You then pick the browser with an @-mention in a Work or Codex chat. Side chat is available in every supported browser except Opera (ChatGPT Learn).

ChatGPT can read and act on sites where you are already signed in, such as LinkedIn, Salesforce, Gmail or internal tools. On YouTube, it can use the video's timestamped caption transcript.

Source: OpenAI, ChatGPT Learn. Documentation page for the browser extension.

Permissions and risks

By default, ChatGPT asks before it uses each new website, based on the domain. There are four options: allow once, allow for this site, allow for all sites, or decline. OpenAI itself labels "allow for all sites" as elevated risk, because ChatGPT then stops asking before using websites. Browser history has no always-allow option, so ChatGPT asks every time.

At install, Chrome asks for broad permissions: reading and changing data on all websites, managing browsing history, downloads, bookmarks and tab groups, and access to the page debugger. OpenAI says it does not keep a separate complete record of the extension's browser actions. It stores only what enters the chat context, such as text read from a page, screenshots or tool calls.

The docs explicitly warn that page content should be treated as untrusted context. A malicious page can hide instructions that the agent may follow (prompt injection).

What to check before turning it on

• Use a separate Chrome profile for agent work, as TopFive also recommends. Keep banking and email accounts out of it.
• Avoid the allow-for-all-sites option. You can manage the allowlist and blocklist under Settings > Computer Use.
• Start with Chat mode and low-stakes tasks such as research or tab cleanup. Only let it near forms that send money or messages while you are watching.
• In a company setting, have IT review the extension's permissions before colleagues install it.