ChatGPT Atlas Browser: Shutdown and What Replaced It (2026)

ChatGPT Atlas was OpenAI's web browser with ChatGPT built in, a Chromium-based app for Macs that launched on October 21, 2025. It is no longer available: OpenAI announced on July 9, 2026 that it was deprecating Atlas and set August 9, 2026 as the date Atlas stops working. Its browser features now live in the new ChatGPT desktop app, which has a built-in browser, and in the ChatGPT browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi (OpenAI Help Center, 2026). Your ChatGPT conversations were never stored in Atlas and are unaffected.

Many pages still describe Atlas as a browser to download. This guide uses OpenAI's own documentation as of September 15, 2026: what Atlas was, its release history, its features and plans, whether it ran Chrome extensions, how to move your data off it, and what to use instead.

By Adi Leviim, Co-Founder at Infi Developments. 7+ years building AI productivity tools. Last reviewed September 2026.

What Was ChatGPT Atlas, and Is It Still Available?

ChatGPT Atlas is no longer available. OpenAI describes it as deprecated, and its Help Center says Atlas was scheduled to stop working on August 9, 2026, after which it "may no longer open, browse, or support browser-based agentic workflows." OpenAI's original announcement now carries the note "Atlas has since been deprecated," and chatgpt.com/atlas, the old download address, loads the standard ChatGPT page.

While it ran, Atlas was OpenAI's own browser for macOS, built on Chromium, with ChatGPT in every tab. OpenAI's announcement called it "a new web browser built with ChatGPT at its core." You signed in with your ChatGPT account, and the browser added four things a normal browser does not have: an Ask ChatGPT sidebar next to any page, optional browser memories, ChatGPT results on the new tab page, and agent mode, where ChatGPT clicked and typed in the browser for you.

OpenAI's stated reason is consolidation: it is "moving browser-based agentic capabilities into ChatGPT and Codex." It also warned against staying on a discontinued browser, because "browsers require ongoing security maintenance."

ChatGPT Atlas Release History: Launch to Shutdown

Atlas shipped frequent updates from its October 21, 2025 launch to a final documented build on March 10, 2026, and OpenAI announced its retirement in July 2026. Milestones from OpenAI's Atlas and ChatGPT release notes:

What ChatGPT Atlas Did: Sidebar, Browser Memories, and Agent Mode

Atlas combined three ChatGPT features with a Chromium browser: an Ask ChatGPT sidebar on any page, opt-in browser memories, and agent mode. OpenAI's newer products cover them in different places.

The Ask ChatGPT sidebar

Selecting Ask ChatGPT at the top right opened a side panel to explain a page, extract details, or draft text without leaving the tab. Atlas also offered inline writing help: highlight text in a form field and select the ChatGPT logo.

Browser memories and privacy controls

Browser memories were off unless you opted in, during setup or in Settings, Personalization, Reference browser memories. When on, web content was summarized on OpenAI's servers with filters for sensitive data, the page content was deleted right after summarizing, and the privacy-filtered summaries were deleted within 7 days. Macs on macOS 26 could summarize on the device instead. Other controls OpenAI documented:

• Page visibility: a toggle in the address bar that hid a page from ChatGPT, so no memories were created from it.
• Training: browsing content was not used for training by default; an "Include web browsing" switch in Data controls opted in. Business and Enterprise content was not used for training.
• History and incognito: deleting web history also deleted its browser memories; incognito signed you out of ChatGPT for that window.

Agent mode and plan availability

Agent mode let ChatGPT navigate, click, and complete multi-step tasks in your browser session. It launched "in preview for Plus, Pro, and Business users," and OpenAI set boundaries: the agent could not run code in the browser, download files, or install extensions, could not reach other apps or your file system, paused on sensitive sites such as banks, and could run in a logged-out mode without your cookies. OpenAI warned that agents "are susceptible to hidden malicious instructions." ChatGPT agent itself is no longer available in ChatGPT; OpenAI now points to ChatGPT Work for longer, multi-step tasks and finished deliverables.

Pricing: free and paid features

Atlas had no separate price. The browser, sidebar, and memories were available to Free, Plus, Pro, and Go users; agent mode needed Plus, Pro, or Business. A default browser promotion raised ChatGPT rate limits inside Atlas for up to 7 days, with no automatic billing.

Did ChatGPT Atlas Support Chrome Extensions?

Yes. OpenAI's own documentation shows Atlas ran browser extensions: its release notes list extension fixes on October 28, 2025, importing "extensions from your current browser" on November 18, 2025, and extensions as an importable component on December 18, 2025. Its Enterprise guide also listed extension policy keys (ExtensionInstallAllowlist, ExtensionInstallBlocklist, ExtensionInstallForcelist) for managed Macs, while noting that "enterprise extension controls and browser policy management are limited."

For AI Toolbox users, the honest position: we never tested or documented AI Toolbox inside Atlas, so we make no claim that it worked there, or in the ChatGPT desktop app's built-in browser. AI Toolbox (formerly ChatGPT Toolbox) is a Chrome Web Store extension for chatgpt.com that runs in Chromium browsers: Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Arc.

How to Move Your Data Off ChatGPT Atlas

Atlas browser data did not transfer automatically: OpenAI says to export bookmarks to an HTML file and import them into another browser such as Chrome, and to save open tabs and history pages by hand. If Atlas still opens on your Mac, do this now; after August 9, 2026 OpenAI says it may not open at all.

1. Open Atlas and go to the bookmark manager (More, Bookmarks and lists, Bookmark Manager).
2. Choose Export bookmarks and save the HTML file somewhere you can find it, such as Downloads.
3. Open Chrome, select More, then Bookmarks and lists, then Import bookmarks and settings.
4. Choose the bookmarks HTML file you exported from Atlas, select Open, then Done.
5. Bookmark or copy the URLs of any open tabs and history pages you still need, because neither transfers automatically.

• Where imported bookmarks land: Chrome may put them in a new imported folder or in Other bookmarks.
• Passwords and cookies: the July 9 release note says you can export cookies and passwords to the ChatGPT desktop app. The Help Center article is more cautious, saying Atlas "will provide export options where available" and that cookies and active sessions "cannot be imported into another browser." Treat cookie and session files as sensitive and do not share them.
• ChatGPT conversations: separate from Atlas browser data; they stay in your account.

It is also a good moment to back up the ChatGPT chats you depend on. ChatGPT's account export emails the whole history as a ZIP; AI Toolbox exports a single chat as TXT on the free plan, and Markdown, JSON, PDF, and bulk ZIP on Premium. See how to export ChatGPT conversations and where ChatGPT conversations are stored.

What Replaced Atlas: ChatGPT Desktop App vs Browser Extension

OpenAI splits Atlas into two replacements: the ChatGPT desktop app for "deeper agentic browser work," with its own built-in browser, and the ChatGPT browser extension for "help while browsing in Chrome," which also works in Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi. The new desktop app launched on July 9, 2026 for macOS and Windows and combines Chat, Work, and Codex; a Linux public preview followed on August 14, 2026.

Plan availability is the part OpenAI states least precisely. ChatGPT Work is "available on Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans" per OpenAI's download page, while its pricing page lists "Limited ChatGPT Work access on desktop" for Free and Go. For the extension, OpenAI says only that "browser availability can depend on rollout and your workspace settings," and its setup page lists broad Chrome permissions, including reading and changing data on all websites.

Back in Chrome after Atlas? AI Toolbox (formerly ChatGPT Toolbox) adds folders, full-text search, bulk actions, and export to ChatGPT in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Arc, so your chat history stays organized on chatgpt.com. 40,000+ users, 4.7/5 on the Chrome Web Store. Install AI Toolbox free ->

ChatGPT Atlas vs Chrome: Which Should You Use Now?

The Atlas vs Chrome choice no longer exists: Atlas is retired, and OpenAI tells former users to import bookmarks into another browser such as Chrome and use ChatGPT through its extension or desktop app. Pick the setup that matches how you used Atlas:

• You mostly used the sidebar to summarize and draft: the ChatGPT extension's side chat in Chrome, Edge, Brave, or Vivaldi is the closest match, and it runs in your normal browser profile.
• You used agent mode for multi-step web tasks: use ChatGPT Work in the desktop app, with the built-in browser or your own browser through the extension, on a plan that includes Work.
• You were on Windows waiting for Atlas: it never arrived. The ChatGPT desktop app for Windows is the supported path.
• You mainly chat on chatgpt.com in a tab: any Chromium browser works, and that is where AI Toolbox adds organization to your conversation history.

If you install both OpenAI's extension and AI Toolbox on a Mac, note that both use Cmd+Shift+Period by default (side chat and AI Toolbox's optional cross-platform search); reassign one at chrome://extensions/shortcuts.

Using ChatGPT in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, or Arc After Atlas

AI Toolbox works on chatgpt.com in Chromium browsers and adds organization features ChatGPT's sidebar lacks; it does not replace OpenAI's side chat or ChatGPT Work, and it does not browse for you.

The same install also has Gemini, Claude, and Grok modules, which you can switch on in the popup. More detail: the ChatGPT Chrome extension, ChatGPT folders, ChatGPT search, and how to choose a ChatGPT extension. If you also used Claude in a browser, see Claude in Chrome setup and limits.

Limitations and What OpenAI Has Not Published

OpenAI's own replacements cover what Atlas did, and no third-party extension brings Atlas back. What OpenAI has not published:

• Whether an installed copy of Atlas still launches on a given Mac after August 9, 2026. OpenAI says only that it "may no longer open."
• A single plan table for the ChatGPT browser extension; availability "can depend on rollout and your workspace settings."
• A consistent answer on cookie export: the release note says cookies can go to the desktop app, and the Help Center says export options are provided "where available."
• What happens to browser memories collected in Atlas; the shutdown article does not mention them.

AI Toolbox has limits of its own: it runs on desktop Chromium browsers, not Firefox, Safari, or the ChatGPT mobile and desktop apps, and it never ran as a supported product inside Atlas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ChatGPT Atlas?

ChatGPT Atlas was OpenAI's web browser with ChatGPT built in, released on October 21, 2025 for Macs with Apple silicon. Built on Chromium, it added an Ask ChatGPT sidebar, optional browser memories, and agent mode for Plus, Pro, and Business users. OpenAI deprecated it and scheduled it to stop working on August 9, 2026.

Is ChatGPT Atlas shut down?

Yes. OpenAI announced on July 9, 2026 that it was deprecating Atlas, and scheduled it to stop working on August 9, 2026. OpenAI says Atlas may no longer open or browse after that date, and it recommends moving to the ChatGPT desktop app or the ChatGPT browser extension.

Is ChatGPT Atlas available for Windows?

No. Atlas only ever shipped for macOS 14.2 or later on Apple silicon. OpenAI said Windows, iOS, and Android versions were coming soon at launch, but none appears in the Atlas release notes, and Atlas is now retired. On Windows, the ChatGPT desktop app has a built-in browser instead.

Can I still download ChatGPT Atlas?

No. The chatgpt.com/atlas download address now opens the regular ChatGPT home page, and OpenAI discourages running a discontinued browser because it may stop receiving security updates. To use ChatGPT while browsing, download the ChatGPT desktop app or install the ChatGPT browser extension.

Was ChatGPT Atlas free?

Yes. OpenAI made Atlas available to Free, Plus, Pro, and Go users with no separate price. Agent mode inside Atlas was a preview for Plus, Pro, and Business subscribers, and a default browser promotion temporarily raised ChatGPT rate limits in Atlas for up to 7 days without any automatic billing.

Did ChatGPT Atlas support Chrome extensions?

Yes. OpenAI's release notes show Atlas imported extensions from your current browser and fixed extensions such as 1Password, and its Enterprise guide listed extension install policies. Atlas is retired now, and AI Toolbox never documented support inside Atlas; it runs in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Arc.

What happens to my ChatGPT chats after Atlas shuts down?

Nothing. OpenAI states that ChatGPT conversation history is separate from Atlas browser data and remains available in ChatGPT, subject to your plan, workspace settings, and account access. Only Atlas browser data, such as bookmarks, open tabs, history, and cookies, needed to be exported or saved.

What replaced ChatGPT Atlas?

Two OpenAI products. The ChatGPT desktop app for macOS and Windows has a built-in browser that ChatGPT Work and Codex can operate. The ChatGPT browser extension brings side chat and browser tasks to Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi, while Opera supports browser tasks and tab mentions without side chat.

Bottom Line

ChatGPT Atlas lasted from October 2025 to August 2026 and never left the Mac. Export your bookmarks, then pick a replacement by habit: the ChatGPT extension's side chat for help beside a page, the desktop app for agentic browsing. Your chats are still on chatgpt.com, where AI Toolbox can keep them in searchable folders.

Related reading: how to use ChatGPT tasks, the ChatGPT backup guide, ChatGPT Plus vs Free, and the best AI chat extensions compared.

Sources

• OpenAI Help Center, Evolving Atlas into ChatGPT for browser-based agentic work
• OpenAI Help Center, ChatGPT Atlas release notes
• OpenAI, Introducing ChatGPT Atlas (October 21, 2025, now marked deprecated)
• OpenAI Help Center, Getting Started with Atlas
• OpenAI Help Center, Setting up the Atlas browser
• OpenAI Help Center, Using Ask ChatGPT sidebar and ChatGPT Agent on Atlas
• OpenAI Help Center, ChatGPT Atlas Data Controls and Privacy
• OpenAI Help Center, ChatGPT Atlas for Enterprise
• OpenAI Help Center, ChatGPT Atlas Default Browser Promotion
• OpenAI Help Center, ChatGPT release notes (Retiring Atlas and new desktop app, July 9, 2026; Linux preview, August 14, 2026; browser extension browsers, August 31, 2026)
• OpenAI Help Center, Moving to the new ChatGPT desktop app
• OpenAI, ChatGPT browser extension documentation
• OpenAI, ChatGPT Browser documentation
• OpenAI, Download ChatGPT

Last updated: September 15, 2026