OpenAI upgrades ChatGPT Chrome extension with multi-tab awareness and ChatGPT Work site control

OpenAI has upgraded its ChatGPT Chrome extension to add a sidebar that works alongside the page you are viewing, reads information across multiple open tabs, and, through ChatGPT Work, takes actions on websites for you. TechRadar contributor Eric Hal Schwartz tested the integration and published his findings.

What OpenAI announced

In a post dated October 15, 2026, OpenAI said it is "bringing the power of computer use to anyone who uses Chrome." According to OpenAI, the behavior depends on the mode:

• In Chat: ChatGPT can look across your open tabs and gather information.
• In Work: ChatGPT can control your Chrome tabs to do things like send messages, fill out forms or download files.
• Tab organization: OpenAI says ChatGPT can also help organize and group open tabs.

How to get it

Users install the official ChatGPT extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in to their account. The sidebar then provides ChatGPT next to webpages. Cross-tab features work once the necessary permissions are granted. The more advanced website interactions come through ChatGPT Work, depending on the account's access. The source does not state pricing or plan requirements.

Hands-on findings

Schwartz found the main appeal to be familiarity: the sidebar keeps the existing ChatGPT experience available without leaving the page. He pointed to two use cases:

• Research: comparing coverage across several open articles, identifying discrepancies, or explaining unclear points without copying text into a separate chat.
• Shopping: examining product pages from different retailers together and organizing the information. He cautions that prices and product details still need verification.

For the agent test, he opened a registration page for a free technology webinar and asked ChatGPT Work to complete the form, with explicit instructions to stop before submitting. ChatGPT did not have every answer. When it reached an industry category selection, it paused and asked him for clarification. He says a final review was essential, because even a minor error in a registration form can be more annoying than filling it out manually.

Risks and permissions

Schwartz notes that reading several pages does not guarantee ChatGPT will interpret every detail correctly, especially when a site has unusual formatting or important information sits behind interactive elements. He also flags that cross-tab access and site interaction raise privacy questions, particularly where users are already signed in to websites. According to the review, OpenAI includes permission controls, but users still need to decide what the agent may access.

Competitive context

TechRadar frames the release as competition with Google, which has been working to make Gemini a more prominent part of Chrome. The review argues that Google's control of the browser gives Gemini a natural advantage, and that OpenAI's extension is meant to keep ChatGPT users from switching assistants.

What this means

This is a product and access update, not a new model. The upgrade moves ChatGPT from a separate tab into the browser's sidebar and gives it context from the pages a user already has open. The agent features in ChatGPT Work extend that to actions on live websites.

The hands-on test shows the practical pattern. The agent can fill a form but stops to ask when it lacks information, and the user still has to review the result before anything is submitted. Schwartz concludes that the value of the automation features will depend on reliability and how much oversight they require. For anyone granting tab access, the permission settings matter as much as the features themselves.