OpenAI is actively working on a browser rumored to be codenamed "Aura." There have been several hints about this new project from OpenAI.
First, they are developing a "New Tab Page" with various shortcuts, similar to what you find on most browser homepages. This functionality is already working in early tests, though it looks like an initial implementation. This page was briefly made visible and then removed, suggesting it's tied to the new browser project.
In agent mode, there is now a "use cloud browser" option. This suggests that agent mode will likely operate natively within the browser, much like how it works in Perplexity. With this setup, the agent could access data directly from the browser without requiring a remote instance, so users wouldn't need to log in to all websites again. This feature will likely stay optional and be controlled through a toggle.
The new ChatGPT web app version adds a hidden option to "Use cloud browser" when enabling Agent mode
— Tibor Blaho (@btibor91) August 14, 2025
However, interestingly, this option is enabled only if the user agent matches "ChatGPT.+Macintosh;.+ Chrome" (likely the new browser from OpenAI) - hinting at the possibility… pic.twitter.com/WQ7cXHb6yg
Another clue from the code shows that this button is only available for ChatGPT users on Chrome for Mac. This strongly points to the browser being Chromium-based and launching first on macOS. In comparison, Perplexity decided to wait until both Mac and Windows versions were ready before launching. It will be interesting to see how OpenAI approaches this, especially since they are now catching up to competitors.
Similar features were previously mentioned for the Edge browser. Given the collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI, it's possible that Microsoft Edge could introduce this type of functionality before OpenAI officially releases its own browser.
