OpenAI has rolled out the first substantial update to its AI-powered browser, ChatGPT Atlas, since its debut last month. This new Mac release is less about adding flashy AI tricks and more about integrating the foundational features necessary to compete as a primary, daily-use web browser. The changes signal a clear intention by OpenAI to push Atlas beyond the status of a niche AI tool and directly into the mainstream.
Atlas product lead Adam Fry confirmed the update on social media, detailing a suite of improvements centered on security, organization, and user choice.
Security and Seamless Integration
A critical new addition is the support for iCloud passkeys. Users can now leverage Apple’s secure ecosystem to create and store passkeys directly within Atlas, enabling password-free logins that match the convenience offered by Safari. This move enhances security and significantly reduces friction for users navigating passkey-enabled websites.
Power User Organization and Search Freedom
The update introduces several highly requested features aimed at user productivity and control:
- Vertical Tabs: A favorite among power users, vertical tabs allow for a cleaner, sidebar-based interface for tab management, preventing the typical clutter of horizontal tabs.
- Bulk Tab Management: Users can now select and manage multiple tabs simultaneously using the Shift-click function, simplifying organization and group closures.
- Extensions Import: For users transitioning from established browsers like Chrome, Atlas now supports extensions import, making the switch far less disruptive by allowing users to bring over their existing toolsets.
Perhaps the most surprising and user-friendly change is the option to set Google as the default search engine. For a browser intrinsically tied to the generative AI capabilities of ChatGPT, offering a traditional web search giant as the primary option acknowledges that users often require conventional search results alongside AI summarization and workflow generation.
The Path to Becoming a Default Browser
Beyond the headline features, the update also includes a revamped downloads interface and the ability to cycle through recently used tabs using the Control + Tab keyboard shortcut.
While Atlas’s core strength remains its deep ChatGPT integrations—such as instantly rewriting or summarizing entire web pages via the sidebar—the focus on filling in “missing basics” is strategically sound. By addressing stability, convenience, and essential features, OpenAI is positioning Atlas not just as a futuristic AI assistant, but as a realistic candidate for users’ default web browser.
More features are expected to follow as the company prepares to expand Atlas beyond the Mac platform.
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