OpenAI’s newly launched ChatGPT Atlas browser is off to an ambitious start, aiming to reimagine web browsing through built-in artificial intelligence tools. The macOS-only browser integrates OpenAI’s language models directly into the experience, allowing users to summarize pages, analyze data, or even delegate online tasks through a feature called Agent Mode. But while Atlas showcases advanced AI capabilities, it still lacks some of the everyday features users expect from a modern browser.
Shortly after launch, users pointed out several missing basics, including support for multiple user profiles, browser extensions, and tab grouping. Password managers, cross-platform syncing, and even Windows or Android versions are also absent for now. In response, OpenAI’s Product Lead for Atlas, Adam Fry, posted on X confirming that the team is already working on addressing these gaps.
Among the short-term priorities are multi-profile support, a model picker in the Ask ChatGPT sidebar, and tab grouping for better organization. Other planned updates include an opt-in ad blocker, improved personalization of suggestions, better performance for Agent Mode, and refinements to how ChatGPT handles documents from cloud services like Excel and Google Drive. Fry also mentioned that OpenAI is working on usability improvements such as more reliable chat deletion, enhanced @mention functionality, and a smoother animation system for AI-driven tasks.
While these updates target quality-of-life improvements, the bigger milestones remain platform expansion and contextual awareness for Agent Mode—features Fry described as “critical” but requiring more time. The company has not given a release timeline for Windows or Android support, though both are reportedly in development.
Atlas enters a crowded browser market where AI integration is quickly becoming standard. Chrome, Edge, and Firefox have all incorporated varying degrees of AI assistance, while others like Vivaldi and Tor have taken the opposite approach, deliberately avoiding AI features in favor of privacy and user control.
For OpenAI, Atlas is less about competing directly with long-established browsers and more about exploring what a browser looks like when AI isn’t just an add-on but the foundation. The early rollout reflects both the promise and the growing pains of that experiment: a glimpse of a more interactive, assistant-driven internet that still needs the everyday features users rely on to make it truly practical.
