[FEATURE] Add browser selection option for Chrome extension (support non-default browsers)

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

When using Claude Code with the Chrome extension, the /chrome command and browser automation features always open the system's default browser. For users who have a different browser set as default (e.g., Arc, Firefox, Brave) but have installed the Claude Chrome extension in Google Chrome, this creates a workflow issue.

Currently, there's no way to specify which browser Claude Code should use for the Chrome extension features, forcing users to either:

• Temporarily change their system default browser to Chrome
• - Manually open Chrome each time before using browser automation features

This interrupts the workflow and makes the Chrome extension less accessible for users who prefer other browsers for general use.

Proposed Solution

Add a configuration option to specify which browser to use for Chrome extension features. This could be implemented in several ways:

Option 1: Command-line flag

claude --browser chrome
claude --browser /Applications/Google\ Chrome.app

Option 2: Configuration setting
Add a browser setting in settings.json or similar config file:

{
  "chrome": {
    "browserPath": "/Applications/Google Chrome.app"
  }
}

Option 3: Environment variable

CLAUDE_BROWSER=chrome claude

The ideal solution would combine Options 1 and 2, allowing users to set a default browser in configuration while also being able to override it per-command when needed.

Alternative Solutions

Currently, the only workarounds are:

1. Temporarily changing system default browser: Before using Claude Code's Chrome features, users must go to System Settings and change their default browser to Chrome, then change it back after they're done. This is cumbersome and interrupts workflow.
2. Manually opening Chrome first: Users can manually open Chrome before running Claude Code commands, but this doesn't solve the issue when Claude Code tries to open a new browser instance.
3. Not using the Chrome extension: Some users might choose to avoid the Chrome extension features entirely, which limits Claude Code's capabilities.

None of these alternatives provide a seamless experience, which is why a built-in browser selection option would be valuable.

Priority

Medium - Would be very helpful

Feature Category

CLI commands and flags

Use Case Example

Scenario: I'm a developer who uses Arc as my primary browser for daily web browsing, but I've installed the Claude Chrome extension in Google Chrome for development work.

Current workflow (problematic):

1. I want to use Claude Code to automate testing a web application
2. 2. I run claude /chrome
3. 3. Arc opens instead of Chrome
4. 4. The Claude extension isn't available in Arc, so browser automation fails
5. 5. I have to manually close Arc, go to System Settings, change default browser to Chrome, restart Claude Code
6. 6. After I'm done, I have to remember to change the default browser back to Arc

Desired workflow (with this feature):

1. I want to use Claude Code to automate testing a web application
2. 2. I run claude /chrome --browser chrome (or have it configured in settings)
3. 3. Chrome opens directly with the Claude extension ready
4. 4. Browser automation works seamlessly
5. 5. My default browser (Arc) remains unchanged for other tasks

This would save several manual steps and make the Chrome extension features much more accessible.

Additional Context

Platform: macOS (Darwin 25.0.0)

Related Issue: This feature request arose from a real user experience where the user had Arc set as their default browser but wanted to use the Claude Chrome extension installed in Google Chrome.

Impact: This affects any user who:

• Uses a non-Chrome browser as their default (Arc, Firefox, Brave, Safari, Edge, etc.)
• - Has installed the Claude Chrome extension in Google Chrome
• - - Wants to use Claude Code's browser automation features

Compatibility Note: The solution should work across all major operating systems (macOS, Windows, Linux) where users might have different default browsers.