Claude in Chrome: Allow browser selection instead of opening default browser

Found 2 possible duplicate issues:

1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/14370
2. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/14368

This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.

• If your issue is a duplicate, please close it and 👍 the existing issue instead
• To prevent auto-closure, add a comment or 👎 this comment

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

I have the same issue. Here are some workarounds I found:

| Workaround | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Temporarily change default browser | Works reliably | Annoying, affects whole system |
| Open Chrome manually first | Quick | Doesn't always work |
| Use Chrome DevTools MCP | Full control over browser path | More complex setup |

Possible macOS Workaround

You could create a shell alias/script that temporarily sets Chrome as default, runs Claude, then restores Brave:

In your .zshrc or .bashrc

claude-chrome() {
# This is hacky but might work
open -a "Google Chrome" # Ensure Chrome is running first
sleep 1
claude --chrome "$@"
}

Or simply ensure Chrome is already open before running the autonomous agent—the extension should connect to the running Chrome instance.

Best practical advice for now: Keep Chrome open before running claude --chrome or the autonomous agent.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

+1 distrupts all my workflows - I use ZEN

+1

Really trying to give Claude Code a fair shout but kind of silly this isn't gracefully handled OOTB. Claude CLI doesn't even know what it's doing wrong. Even when I add a rule to tell it to actually use Chrome it'll open them without the Claude tab group / extension integration, and then later end up trying to open it using default browser (Arc) anyways.

Think I'll stick with Cursor or Antigravity for now for front end web dev stuff.

+1, and especially because Claude is so desperately trying to be helpful in resolving the issue when it encounters it! But this issue really stops Cowork being very useful for me. I use Arc or Dia.

+1 and this happens EVEN when I've set chrome as my default browser lolol

Related workaround: I built a tool that configures Native Messaging for alternative Chromium browsers:

🔗 https://github.com/stolot0mt0m/claude-chromium-native-messaging

While this doesn't solve the browser selection issue directly, it enables Claude extension functionality in browsers like Brave, Arc, Vivaldi, Edge, etc. by setting up the Native Messaging Host configuration that Chrome normally handles automatically.

+1 this issue is incredibly annoying I really hope it gets fixed soon

Hey Claude Team, please give some attention to this matter

+1, seems relatively simple to configure claude code to open chrome on Windows.

I am facing this issue with Claude on macOS. Safari is not my default browser yet Claude opens Safari for me to sign in. I need the option to choose another browser where I am signed in with my work email.

This pls, thx

I use firefox as my default browser, and for testing purpose- I would like to use chrome. But claude always opens firefox.

Tangential workaround that may unblock some users here: install hangwin/mcp-chrome extension into a Chrome profile dedicated to Claude-driven automation, alongside your everyday Brave/Arc/Firefox default. The chrome-mcp bridge talks to your real Chrome via Native Messaging (no --chrome flag involved, no default-browser handling), so Claude's automation lives in Chrome regardless of OS default.

Doesn't address the actual --chrome request in this issue, but if you're blocked today and just need automation to land in Chrome reliably, this gets you there.

Install steps for Windows (extension + bridge + Claude Code MCP entry): https://github.com/MankhongGarden/chrome-mcp-windows-survival-guide

Use case: persistent default + auto-fallback when multiple browsers are connected

I routinely have ~3 Chrome browsers/profiles connected to the Claude-in-Chrome MCP. On every task Claude re-prompts "which browser do you want me to use?" — there's no way to persist a choice, so it's a constant interruption.

Two behaviors would each fully solve this; either is fine:

1. A configurable default — e.g. CLAUDE_CHROME_BROWSER="<name or id>" (env var) or a chrome.defaultBrowser key in settings.json. select_browser could also accept a persist: true flag so the next session reuses the selection.
2. Remember the last-selected browser across sessions automatically.

Bonus that would make it fully hands-off: on error, loop through the remaining connected browsers in order (default → next → next) and only prompt the user if all of them fail, rather than asking up front.

Today the only workaround is selecting interactively each session, which also breaks scripted/scheduled runs since the prompt can't be answered non-interactively.