Codex Desktop built-in browser plugin unavailable on Windows – browser opens but no browser-control/CDP tools

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.825.31414

What subscription do you have?

Business

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

The Codex Desktop built-in browser opens, but the in-app browser plugin is intermittently available. Depending on how I launch or configure it, Codex may either show that the plugin is installed and available or report that the Google Chrome extension is unavailable and disabled.

App version:
Powered by Codex & OWL
Version 26.825.31414

When I open the browser through the Google Chrome flow — Google → ChatGPT plugin → Open in app — Codex shows that the plugin has been installed or is available. However, when I open the relevant settings manually, the Google Chrome extension is shown as unavailable and disabled.

The browser itself opens and Codex can see the current URL through ambient browser state, but it cannot consistently actively interact with or inspect the page.

In Settings, I sometimes see:
“In-app browser plugin unavailable”

Missing capabilities include:

DOM / page state access
current-tab screenshot
click / type interaction
Console
Network
Performance
Full CDP tools

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Open Codex Desktop on Windows.
Use version 26.825.31414.
Open a new Codex session.
Open the built-in browser.
Navigate to any authenticated web application, for example Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Ask Codex to inspect the current page, read the DOM, take a screenshot, or access Console / Network.
Codex may report that no callable browser-control or CDP capabilities are available.
Open the browser through the Google Chrome flow: Google → ChatGPT plugin → Open in app.
In this flow, Codex may show that the plugin has been installed or is available.
Open the browser settings manually.
The Google Chrome extension may instead be shown as unavailable and disabled, and the in-app browser plugin may be reported as unavailable.

The behavior is inconsistent: the plugin sometimes appears to be available after launching it through Google Chrome, but appears unavailable when checked directly in settings.

I have already tested after:

updating the app,
restarting it,
creating a completely new Codex session,
enabling Codex permissions in my ChatGPT Business workspace.

What is the expected behavior?

The browser plugin should have a consistent status regardless of how it is launched or where its settings are viewed.

If the plugin is installed and available, Codex should be able to:

inspect the current page / DOM,
read page state,
take screenshots,
interact with the page,
and access Console, Network and performance information where supported.

If the plugin is unavailable, the app should consistently report that state and clearly explain why. The status should not change depending on whether I open the browser through the Google Chrome flow or manually through Codex settings.

At minimum, the app should provide a reliable installation or permission flow instead of intermittently showing that the plugin is installed and then reporting that the Google Chrome extension is unavailable and disabled.

Additional information

I am using ChatGPT Business in Poland / EEA.

Under Computer Use → Google Chrome I see:
“Disabled by your organization or unavailable in your region.”

However, I understand that Computer Use and the Codex built-in browser are separate features.

The confusing part is that:

the built-in browser itself opens,
Codex receives the ambient current URL,
the plugin sometimes appears to be installed or available when launched through Google → ChatGPT plugin → Open in app,
but when I open the settings manually, the Google Chrome extension is shown as unavailable and disabled,
and Codex does not consistently receive browser-control tools.

Please confirm whether this is:

a known regression in version 26.825.31414,
a regional restriction affecting the in-app browser in EEA,
a ChatGPT Business workspace entitlement issue,
or a browser plugin installation, detection, or provisioning problem.

[This tickets content was fully generated by ChatGPT]