ChatGPT Atlas is shutting down and it has some homework left before you migrate

OpenAI is pulling the plug on Atlas, so start packing your bookmarks

By Vikhyaat Vivek Published August 5, 2026 4:42 AM

ChatGPT Atlas browser on a MacBook. — Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

ChatGPT Atlas is heading toward an early grave, and anyone still using OpenAI’s browser has a small pile of homework to finish before the shutdown. OpenAI has confirmed that Atlas is scheduled to stop working on August 9, 2026.

After that date, the browser may no longer be operational. So users won’t be able to browse the web or get access to its agent-powered workflows. Meanwhile, the company is moving those browser-based capabilities into ChatGPT and Codex. But unfortunately, the transition isn’t as convenient as users may hope.

Atlas will not pack your browser data for you

Bookmarks will not transfer automatically. OpenAI advises users to export them from Atlas as an HTML file before the deadline, then import that file into another browser such as Chrome. Open tabs and browsing history also stay behind. Anyone with important pages still open must bookmark them. After this, they would need to copy URLs into a separate document or save them in another way.

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OpenAI is providing export options for cookies wherever it’s available. However, active sessions cannot simply be imported into another browser. Cookie and session files should also be treated as sensitive because they may provide access to signed-in accounts. Keep in mind that your ChatGPT conversation history is separate from Atlas browsing data and will remain accessible through ChatGPT.

The company is giving users an approximately 30-day wind-down period after it announced the retirement on July 9. It also warns that Atlas will no longer receive the ongoing security maintenance expected from a supported browser, giving holdouts another reason to move quickly.

Atlas is disappearing into a bigger ChatGPT app

OpenAI added that the lessons learned from Atlas are informing a more capable browser experience inside ChatGPT. The new desktop app supports features including multiple tabs, downloads, improved navigation, account logins, and more involved agent-led browsing where available.

Users who prefer Chrome can instead turn to the ChatGPT extension or sidebar, but availability will still depend on region, device, plan, and workspace settings. The browser automation is also being moved into Codex for tasks that benefit from access to logged-in websites and web applications. So Atlas is technically still alive. It’s just scattered and spread across OpenAI’s larger products in pieces.

Vikhyaat Vivek is a tech journalist and reviewer with seven years of experience covering consumer hardware, with a focus on…

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