Claude-in-Chrome bridge won't connect to a second Chrome profile (matching account + org, fresh reinstall, correct launch order)

Summary

The Claude-in-Chrome bridge will not connect to a second Chrome profile. mcp__claude-in-chrome__* tools (e.g. tabs_context_mcp, list_connected_browsers) return "Browser extension is not connected" / [] for the target profile, even though every condition the error message names is satisfied.

Environment

• Claude Desktop on macOS
• Claude Code org = claude_max ("<user>'s Organization")
• Google Chrome with 2 profiles: Default (work account) and Profile 1 (personal)

Steps / what was confirmed (all true, still fails)

1. Extension installed + enabled in the target (work) profile — extension ID fcoeoabgfenejglbffodgkkbkcdhcgfn.
2. Extension signed into claude.ai with the same account as Claude Code.
3. Extension workspace switched to match Claude Code's org (Personal / Max = claude_max).
4. Full Chrome restart (quit + reopen the target profile) after each change.
5. Full Claude Desktop quit (an actual app quit, not just closing the window) + relaunch, with only the target profile's Chrome open at launch.
6. chrome-native-host process present; native-messaging host JSON in place at ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/com.anthropic.claude_code_browser_extension.json.
7. Opening the extension, and visiting claude.ai/chrome, shows only the standalone chat panel (model picker, "How can I help you today?") — no "Connect to Claude Code" affordance ever appears.

Clinching test (rules out stale install / wrong launch order)

• Fresh reinstall of the extension, then signed into claude.ai on the Personal/Max org (= Claude Code's org), then restarted Chrome, then a full Claude Desktop quit + relaunch — Desktop launched (uptime ~20s) with the extension freshly installed and correctly configured and the target-profile Chrome already open.
• Result: tabs_context_mcp still returns "extension is not connected". No connect UI.

Expected vs observed

• Expected: with a matching account + org and the extension running, the bridge should pair.
• Observed: never connects; no connect/pairing UI surfaces — even on a clean reinstall with the correct org, in the correct launch order.

Additional notes

• The bridge did work earlier in the same session on the other (personal) profile, whose pairing pre-existed before the session. It did not re-establish after Chrome / Desktop restarts — suggesting restarts don't re-run the pairing handshake and there's no in-UI way to trigger it manually.
• switch_browser returns "No other browsers available to switch to" even with a second Chrome profile — and separately a second browser app (Edge) — installed with the extension present. The bridge appears to attach to a single browser/profile determined before the session, with no user-facing way to re-point it.