GPT Struggles to access tabs on browsers
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Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
Codex desktop app: 26.901.41600 (build 7982) - Bundled Codex CLI: 0.153.4
What subscription do you have?
Max
What platform is your computer?
Apple M4
What issue are you seeing?
Codex browser access is completely unavailable across all models and browser routes.
Both GPT-6 Astra and GPT-5.6 Sol fail with:
“Browser Use could not complete this action because a browser security check was unavailable. The admin-enforced policy could not be verified, so access was not granted.”
The extension successfully detects and lists the open Chrome tabs, so the browser connection is working. The failure occurs when Codex attempts to read a page.
This has been reproduced on:
- Chrome
- Brave
- Codex’s built-in browser
- RotaCloud
- ClassForKids
- example.com
Installed versions:
- ChatGPT desktop: 26.901.41600
- Chrome: 152.0.7977.77
- ChatGPT browser extension: 1.26.901.11451
The issue is independent of the selected GPT model, browser, website and website login. Claude can access the same operational websites successfully. This is significantly interrupting normal business workflows and is the main reason I cannot use Codex instead of Claude.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Feedback ID: 01a082ed-047f-7962-9cff-dc21c13ac635
What is the expected behavior?
To control the tabs on browsers. Its currently says It can see them but I need to restart. I then restart the browser and gpt and it works as it should
Additional information
Restarting both apps makes it work, but after being left for a few hours this needs repeating. Browser use seemed to work fine with Tesco groceries yesterday
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reproducing the browser-access failure across Chrome, Brave, and Codex’s built-in browser, using the listed feedback ID and installed versions. Check the browser extension’s tab-detection and page-reading flow; done means Codex can read and control open tabs after several hours without requiring both apps to restart.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- desktop
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100