ChatGPT Atlas Browser Gains Vertical Tabs, Passkeys, and More

[MacRumors]

OpenAI is rolling out the first major update to ChatGPT Atlas, its dedicated AI browser for Mac that includes ChatGPT integration.

There are nine new features in all for the Chromium-based browser after the update. Visually, the most notable UI change is a new option for vertical tabs that change size dynamically in the adjustable sidebar, plus there's a new interface for managing downloads.

Meanwhile, the app now features iCloud passkey support, so users can create and use passkeys for websites that are saved to iCloud. It's also now possible to import Chrome extensions and set the default search engine to Google.

A setting has been added to select multiple tabs at once (Shift + click), as well as to use Control + Tab to cycle to the most recently used tab. Lastly, the responsiveness of the Ask ChatGPT sidebar has also been improved.

Apple's Safari browser does not have AI integration as of yet, but Chrome does. With OpenAI, Google, and also Perplexity offering AI browsers, Apple may need to integrate Siri and other AI tools into Safari in the future to keep up with its main rivals.

The Atlas update follows yesterday's rollout of GPT-5.1 Pro, which OpenAI says provides "clearer, more capable answers for complex work." In early testing users rated the model especially highly for writing help, data science, and business questions, highlighting improved clarity, relevance, and structure in its responses.

Article Link: ChatGPT Atlas Browser Gains Vertical Tabs, Passkeys, and More

 

[MacUserFella]

Won’t make the search engine any better

 

[theinstructor]

Siri integration? LOL

 

[JoeSilver]

Apple may need to integrate Siri and other AI tools into Safari in the future to keep up with its main rivals.

I don't know... I think that being completely free of AI integration could be a badge of distinction for Safari. The users can always go to ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, whatever... when they need it.

 

[Corefile]

This AI stuff is still looking for the killer app that will revolutionize it. I'm surprised nobody has gotten there yet because that's going to make a new company into the next tech titan. All the current stuff is just playdoh.

 

[anshuvorty]

No way am I going to just hand over my secrets to ChatGPT, who knows what they could do with that information in the future, once their privacy policy changes...

 

[robertosh]

It seems that privacy-wise this is terrible, not surprising I guess.

Don’t install Atlas AI browser - here’s why. | Tuta

OpenAI’s Atlas browser with built-in ChatGPT is marketed as being a step closer to a ‘true super-assistant,’ but it’s more like a true privacy nightmare. Let’s take a look at why ChatGPT Atlas browser must be avoided.

tuta.com

 

[wanha]

All I'd want to use AI in a browser for is to find some particular data point in a long article. Give me a button for this that respects my privacy, and keep the rest of the AI far and away from my browsing.

 

[CATiNTHESTORE]

****Atlas and ****AI - look at DDR price and SSD will raise in price too. F you Altam

 

[andrewlt]

Seems familiar...

Arc and Dia...

 

[CalMin]

I’ve been using Atlas for my non-work stuff. I’m not sure I really get its purpose but it does have a couple of neat party tricks. Overall though I haven’t experienced any quality of life improvement vs Safari plus ChatGPT.

I see this as the future though and will keep testing.

 

[ThomasJL]

Anyone impressed by this should not be. Scott Forstall likely would’ve found a way to integrate Siri into Safari over a decade ago if Tim Cook hadn’t fired him in 2012.

Cook was too clueless and mediocre to recognize Forstall’s value as a visionary for integrating an AI tool like Siri into iOS back in 2011. Siri would’ve been far better if Cook hadn’t fired Forstall just one year after Siri was integrated into iOS.

 

[Ursadorable]

I only use Grok or a local LLM (Magistral Small usually) via LM Studio. I find ChatGPT to be too biased.

 

[masterhiggins]

Big mistake. They need to join with Grok. It's smarter.

 

[Fofer]

They need to join with Grok. It's smarter.

um... not really though

https://twitter.com/x/status/1991244693103837325

 

[MacMan988]

um... not really though

https://twitter.com/x/status/1991244693103837325

His AI seem to be biased in several ways. And his Grok app seem to be trying to get people hooked into some sort of AI companion / sex bot kind of thing. And his Tesla bot is giving a body to AI to be able to walk around and we don't know what it will evolve into with each iteration. Pretty much exactly the thing he wanted to save the world from... 😂

 

[sahajesh]

It seems that privacy-wise this is terrible, not surprising I guess.

Don’t install Atlas AI browser - here’s why. | Tuta

OpenAI’s Atlas browser with built-in ChatGPT is marketed as being a step closer to a ‘true super-assistant,’ but it’s more like a true privacy nightmare. Let’s take a look at why ChatGPT Atlas browser must be avoided.

tuta.com

Surely you’d just use Atlas for browsing, searching for things to buy online etc, where it’s more useful.

Keep banking and private stuff for Safari etc.

Yeah it’s two browsers but the potential benefits of Atlas for “what’s the best OLED TV?” are surely worth the risk?

 

[BabyBoii]

I freaking love this browser. Tried Arc and a few others but they were just a little too different. Love that it's based on chrome so my extensions work and basically acts the same just a cleaner UI and some GPT integration.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

It's also now possible to import Chrome extensions

If this means there's supposed to be an option in Atlas's settings to import extensions that you've previously installed into the Chrome browser, I don't see an option there for doing this in the latest version of Atlas. The Chrome Web Store also still tells you that you have to switch to Chrome to install extensions. While in Atlas, I asked ChatGPT about this, and it said that currently the only way to install Chrome extensions into Atlas is to follow a partly elaborate process in Atlas's developer mode, which has been available for some time:

• Download a CRX file manually for an extension (from a safe repository like the developer’s GitHub releases or the Chrome Web Store via a CRX downloader).
• Extract the CRX (it’s a ZIP archive).
• In Atlas, go to:
  Settings → Extensions → Developer Mode → Load unpacked
• Choose the extracted extension directory.

The actual path is Settings > Web Browsing > Extensions, and then in the Extensions window, you click on the slider at the upper right labeled "Developer mode". Not sure I want to go through all of that. So I switched to Chrome and asked Gemini about this, and it contradicted ChatGPT, saying that the Chrome Web Store will actually see Atlas now as a Chrome browser, and it will successfully install extensions into Atlas despite telling you that you need to switch to Chrome. The reason for the discrepancy seems to be that ChatGPT still sometimes doesn't rely on current information, but instead it still sometimes relies on its training data/pre-learned database unless you specifically tell it to look up current info online.

So I tried installing a Chrome extension into Atlas using the Chrome Web Store, and it did work, though so far the only extension I've tried is Session Buddy. But it's supposed to pin its icon button in the toolbar to the right of the URL field so you can access it, but its icon didn't appear, so I asked Gemini about this. It said I'd find the pinning option in the Session Buddy entry in Atlas's Extensions list, but I didn't find a pinning option there. So I badgered Gemini again, and it finally said that "custom" Chromium browsers like Atlas move the pinning option, requiring you to go through this semi-elaborate process:

• Click on your round profile icon at the upper right corner of an Atlas browser window, which will display a dropdown menu which includes an Extensions entry.
• Hover your pointer over the Extensions entry, which will display a submenu list of installed extensions.
• Hover your pointer over the desired installed extension, which will then display another submenu, which will include the option to pin the extension to the toolbar.

Gemini pointed out that this was non-intuitive, and I agreed.

CONCLUSION: The article should read "It's also now possible to INSTALL Chrome extensions into Atlas, from the Chrome Web Store, despite the store telling you that you can't. And by the way, pinning extensions to the toolbar in Atlas isn't automatic."

 

[svish]

Will try out the browser but don’t think I will be using it as my primary browser. Not expecting Apple to integrate AI into Safari anytime soon.