Published October 21, 2026 · AI News
ChatGPT’s Chrome extension can now do things in your browser, not just talk about it. OpenAI’s updated extension, released October 15, 2026, adds two modes: one that reads your open tabs and one that acts in them.
Two modes
| Mode | What it does | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Reads your open tabs and answers questions about them, like comparing prices or specs across stores | All plans, including Free |
| Work | Takes actions in your tabs: fills in forms, downloads files, sends messages, groups tabs | Paid plans; reports differ on the minimum (Plus or higher) |
The extension also adds a side panel with your full ChatGPT history next to the page you’re on. It’s on the Chrome Web Store and also works in Chromium browsers such as Edge, Brave and Opera.
How permission works
According to OpenAI’s documentation, ChatGPT asks before using each new website, with options to allow once, allow for that site, allow for all sites, or decline. OpenAI labels “allow for all sites” and browser-history access as elevated risk, and ChatGPT always asks before uploading or downloading files.
Should you turn on Work mode?
It’s useful for boring, repetitive web tasks. But an AI that can click and type in your logged-in tabs can also be tricked by a malicious page, a problem known as prompt injection that no AI company has fully solved. Our advice: close banking, email and payroll tabs before you start, allow sites one at a time, and tell ChatGPT to stop before it submits anything. For how ChatGPT compares with other assistants, see ChatGPT vs Claude.