OpenAI Atlas Is Scheduled to Stop Working August 9: What to Export and Where Browser Agents Are Moving
OpenAI’s Atlas browser is scheduled to stop working on August 9, 2026. The important part for existing users is not simply that the product is being discontinued: several categories of browser data will not transfer automatically, and OpenAI says it is moving browser-based agentic capabilities into ChatGPT and Codex.
OpenAI’s migration guidance says users should export or save important Atlas data before the shutdown date. The company specifically warns that bookmarks, open tabs and browser history will not necessarily transfer automatically. ChatGPT conversation history is separate and remains available subject to normal account, plan and workspace rules.
Source: OpenAI — Evolving Atlas into ChatGPT for browser-based agentic work
The deadline and what changes
| Item | Status after August 9, 2026 | What OpenAI recommends |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas browser | Scheduled to stop working; OpenAI says it may no longer open, browse or support browser-agent workflows | Move to a supported browser workflow before the deadline |
| Bookmarks | Do not rely on automatic transfer | Export as an HTML file and import into another browser |
| Open tabs | May not transfer automatically | Bookmark important pages or copy their URLs |
| Browser history | Do not rely on automatic transfer | Save or bookmark anything you need to retain |
| Cookies / session data | Export options are available where supported; generic browser-to-browser import is not | Treat exported cookie/session files as sensitive credentials |
| Passwords | OpenAI’s current ChatGPT release notes say Atlas passwords can be exported to the new ChatGPT desktop app | Move them through a supported path before retiring Atlas |
| ChatGPT conversation history | Separate from Atlas browser data | Continues in ChatGPT subject to plan/workspace/account rules |
| Browser-agent workflows | Moving into ChatGPT and Codex | Use ChatGPT desktop for deeper agentic browser work; Chrome integration is available where supported |
OpenAI says Atlas may no longer open, browse or support browser-based agent workflows after August 9. The company also advises against continuing to rely on a discontinued browser because browsers require ongoing security maintenance.
Export bookmarks before the shutdown
OpenAI’s current migration procedure is straightforward:
- Open Atlas.
- Open the bookmark manager.
- Choose Export Bookmarks.
- Save the bookmarks as an HTML file.
- Import that HTML file into another browser such as Chrome.
OpenAI notes that Chrome may place imported bookmarks in an imported folder or under Other bookmarks rather than exactly reproducing the Atlas layout.
The important distinction is that this bookmark export is a normal browser migration path. It is not a complete transfer of Atlas state. Open tabs and browsing history still need to be saved separately.
Cookies, passwords and signed-in sessions need different migration paths
Atlas can provide cookie export options where available, but cookie and session files should not be treated like ordinary bookmark files.
Cookies can contain active session information. In practical terms, possession of certain session cookies can provide access to accounts without requiring the password again. OpenAI therefore warns users not to share cookie or session files unless they trust the recipient and understand what access those files may provide.
There are two separate cases in OpenAI’s current guidance:
- OpenAI’s ChatGPT release notes say users can export cookies and passwords to the new ChatGPT desktop app.
- OpenAI’s Atlas migration article says cookies and active sessions cannot simply be imported into another browser through a generic browser-to-browser migration path.
So users should follow a supported migration path for the destination they actually plan to use rather than assuming a cookie export will restore signed-in sessions everywhere. Expect to re-authenticate manually where no supported import path exists.
Where OpenAI is moving Atlas features
OpenAI is not framing the change as an abandonment of browser agents. It says browser-based agentic capabilities are moving into broader ChatGPT and Codex experiences.
The company’s help documentation says the replacement direction includes:
- multiple browser tabs;
- downloads;
- improved navigation;
- account-login support where available;
- deeper browser-based agent workflows inside the ChatGPT desktop app;
- browser assistance through the ChatGPT Chrome extension or sidebar where supported;
- browser-based agentic work integrated with ChatGPT and Codex rather than isolated in Atlas.
Atlas was a standalone browser with built-in ChatGPT and agent mode. OpenAI’s current migration guidance instead directs users toward ChatGPT desktop for deeper browser-agent work and toward the ChatGPT Chrome extension or sidebar for assistance while browsing in Chrome.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT release notes describe the same shift: Atlas is being deprecated as browser-based agentic capabilities move into ChatGPT and Codex.
What Atlas agent mode could do — and what it could not
Atlas’s agent mode was introduced as a controlled browser automation environment. OpenAI’s Atlas release notes say agent mode could perform end-to-end tasks such as researching a meal plan, creating a shopping list and adding items to a cart, while allowing the user to pause, interrupt or take over.
It also had explicit boundaries. OpenAI said Atlas agent mode could not:
- run code in the browser;
- download files or install browser extensions;
- access other apps on the computer or the file system;
- directly read or write ChatGPT memories;
- access saved passwords or autofill data.
OpenAI also documented a logged-out mode that avoids using pre-existing cookies unless the user specifically approves account access.
Those constraints matter because the migration is not merely about bookmarks. It also changes the primary OpenAI surface users are directed to for browser-agent workflows.
Source: OpenAI — ChatGPT Atlas release notes
What workspace admins should do
OpenAI’s current guidance for Business, Enterprise and Edu administrators is more operational than consumer-focused. Workspace admins are advised to:
- identify users still relying on Atlas;
- notify them that Atlas is scheduled to stop working on August 9;
- ensure bookmarks and important pages are exported;
- verify whether the ChatGPT desktop app and Chrome integration are enabled for the workspace;
- update internal documentation that still refers to Atlas;
- remind users that cookie and session exports are sensitive data.
The same retirement notice appears in OpenAI’s Business and Enterprise/Edu release notes, indicating that the shutdown applies to those workspace products as well.
The practical migration checklist
Before Atlas is retired, existing users should make sure they have completed the following:
| Priority | Action |
|---|---|
| Critical | Export bookmarks to HTML |
| Critical | Save URLs for important open tabs |
| Critical | Save any browser-history destinations you actually need |
| High | Move passwords through a supported migration path; OpenAI says export to the new ChatGPT desktop app is supported |
| High | Use the supported ChatGPT desktop path for cookies if needed, rather than assuming another browser can import active sessions |
| High | Re-authenticate important accounts where no supported session-import path exists |
| High | Treat exported cookies/session data like credentials |
| Medium | Install or update the ChatGPT desktop app if you use browser agents |
| Medium | Check whether the ChatGPT Chrome extension/sidebar is available for your account or workspace |
| Workspace | Update internal browser-agent documentation and user guidance |
Why the change matters beyond Atlas users
The Atlas retirement gives a clearer picture of OpenAI’s browser-agent strategy.
OpenAI is shifting browser-based agentic capabilities from Atlas into ChatGPT and Codex. Its current guidance points users to ChatGPT desktop for deeper browser-agent workflows and to Chrome integration for assistance alongside an existing browser.
The trade-off for Atlas users is a real migration task now. OpenAI is not promising an automatic transfer of all browser state, and several kinds of data must be exported or saved manually before the scheduled shutdown.
With Atlas scheduled to stop working on August 9, users who still rely on it should export or save important data before that date rather than depending on access after the cutoff.
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