TechRadar AI Week 2025
This article is part of TechRadar’s AI Week 2025. Covering the basics of artificial intelligence, we’ll show you how to get the most out of ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude, along with detailed features, news and the top talking points in the world of AI.
ChatGPT Atlas has only been around for a few weeks, but already it looks like OpenAI’s chatbot-powered browser is growing rapidly. The first major update has arrived on macOS, and it adds three really useful features that make Atlas feel less like an AI demo and more like something you can actually rely on every day.
I’ve been using Atlas since its release, and while it still has difficult aspects, this update is a notable step forward.
If you’ve been waiting for practical tools rather than headline-grabbing AI tricks to get started with ChatGPT Atlas, here are the three updates worth knowing about.
1. iCloud Passwords Come to Atlas
This is important because Atlas has always asked you to trust it with much of your digital life, and now being able to rely on Apple’s secure storage instead of a standalone password manager removes some of that guesswork.
2. Google can now be your default search engine
When I initially tested Atlas for 24 hours, I was disappointed that I couldn’t use Google by default, so this change alone is a major update for the ChatGPT browser.
With the ability to make Google your default search engine, it will help anyone who wants to casually try Atlas without relearning their entire workflow. Most people still start their browsing sessions in the search bar, so having Google there by default eliminates friction.
3. Vertical tabs are here
New release of ChatGPT Atlas! Just press “refresh” in the top right corner. importing extensions – iCloud passkeys – new downloads UI – setting to use control + tab to move to the most recently used tab – select multiple tabs at once (shift + click) – ability to configure… pic.twitter.com/jWoNPHcx7VNovember 19, 2025
If you open as many tabs as I do when researching an article, the horizontal tabs become a mess. Atlas now gives you a proper vertical layout and instantly makes the browser easier to navigate.
You also get improvements like multi-tab selection and proper control plus tab cycling, which means the entire tab experience feels more like Chrome or Edge. It’s a small change that has a big impact, especially if you’re jumping between ChatGPT messages, news feeds, and document drafts all day.
Atlas has felt a bit basic so far. The vertical tabs give it that power user feel that it was missing.
Is it time to try Atlas?
ChatGPT Atlas is still in its infancy and many of the issues I had with the browser at launch remain to this day. That said, adding iCloud Passkeys is a big step in making me feel more comfortable trusting Atlas with my personal information, and while I’m still not sold on giving up all my browsing data to OpenAI, I like what I’m seeing here.
ChatGPT Atlas has only been around for a few months and it’s already clear that OpenAI sees this product as a central way to interact with its AI models. Now, we just need a Windows app and the ability to use Atlas on smartphones. Please OpenAI, give me my holiday wish.
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