Codex Chrome plugin partially connects to ChatGPT Atlas extension but creates uncontrollable tabs

[scott1991]

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.513.20950（2816）

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 24.6.0 arm64 arm

What issue are you seeing?

Summary

I tested Codex @Chrome browser automation while the Codex Chrome Extension was installed in ChatGPT Atlas, not Google Chrome.

The plugin was able to connect to the extension and even caused Atlas to open new about:blank tabs. However, those tabs were not correctly associated with the Codex browser session, so subsequent control and cleanup failed.

This creates a confusing partial-support state: Codex can affect Atlas, but cannot reliably control or clean up the tabs it creates.

Environment

• OS: macOS
• Google Chrome installed: yes
• Google Chrome running: no
• Codex Chrome Extension installed in: ChatGPT Atlas
• Codex Chrome Extension not installed in Google Chrome Default profile
• Enabled Codex plugins:
  • chrome@openai-bundled
  • browser@openai-bundled

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Observed behavior

1. @Chrome plugin initial connection succeeded.
2. The plugin reported:
   • browser name: Chrome
   • type: extension
   • extensionId: hehggadaopoacecdllhhajmbjkdcmajg
   • extensionInstanceId: 28d4017c-bdfe-40a2-9246-3c93190d2b57
3. Calling browser.tabs.new() caused ChatGPT Atlas to open about:blank tabs.
4. Four about:blank tabs were created in Atlas.
5. Follow-up control failed with errors like:

Tab 95 is not part of browser session 019e29ad-e3c6-73c2-ba0e-5c0e9403404e
Tab 96 is not part of browser session 019e29ad-e3c6-73c2-ba0e-5c0e9403404e
Tab 97 is not part of browser session 019e29ad-e3c6-73c2-ba0e-5c0e9403404e
Tab 98 is not part of browser session 019e29ad-e3c6-73c2-ba0e-5c0e9403404e

Cleanup failure

I tried to clean up the tabs through Codex:

1. browser.user.openTabs() could list the four Atlas about:blank tabs.
2. I attempted to claimTab and close them.
3. Each attempt failed with the same session mismatch error:

Tab <id> is not part of browser session 019e29ad-e3c6-73c2-ba0e-5c0e9403404e

So Codex could create tabs in Atlas but could not safely close them. I had to manually close them in Atlas.

Diagnostics

Google Chrome is installed:

/Applications/Google Chrome.app
version: 148.0.7778.168

Google Chrome was not running.

Native messaging host manifest exists:

/Users/scott/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/com.openai.codexextension.json

Allowed origin:

chrome-extension://hehggadaopoacecdllhhajmbjkdcmajg/

Google Chrome Default profile did not have the Codex Chrome Extension installed:

/Users/scott/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Extensions/hehggadaopoacecdllhhajmbjkdcmajg
installed: false
registered: false
enabled: false

What is the expected behavior?

Expected behavior

Either:

1. Codex should fully support ChatGPT Atlas as a browser backend, including correct tab/session lifecycle and cleanup, or
2. Codex should detect that the extension is running in an unsupported browser and refuse to control it, instead of partially creating tabs that it cannot manage.

Additional information

Actual behavior

Codex partially communicates with the extension in ChatGPT Atlas and creates tabs, but the tabs are not part of the Codex browser session. This leaves user-visible tabs behind and prevents safe cleanup.

Why this matters

Authenticated browser automation depends on existing browser state: cookies, SSO/MFA, logged-in tabs, and site-specific session state.

ChatGPT Atlas is my primary browser, so it is natural to expect Codex to support it. The current behavior is worse than simply being unsupported because Codex can create side effects in Atlas without being able to manage them afterward.

Request

Please clarify and/or fix the supported browser behavior for chrome@openai-bundled:

• If Atlas is intended to be supported, please fix extension/session/tab lifecycle handling.
• If Atlas is not intended to be supported, please make the plugin detect this and fail safely before opening tabs.
• Please document whether ChatGPT Atlas should work with the Codex Chrome Extension and Codex @Chrome plugin.