Claude in Chrome connector silently disappeared from claude.ai tool list — no error, no trace

Environment:

• Platform: Windows (Claude Desktop)
• Interface: claude.ai web chat
• Plan: paid (Pro/Max)

Description:

Previously, when using Claude in Chrome from claude.ai (web interface), the browser automation tool appeared in Claude's available tool list. Attempting to use it would return a connection error ("Browser extension is not connected"), which is a known issue documented in multiple issues (#20298, #21371, #20779, etc.).

As of early February 2026, the behavior has changed: the Claude in Chrome tool no longer appears in Claude's tool list at all. Claude cannot even attempt to call it — there is no error, no feedback, nothing. From the user's perspective, the feature has silently vanished.

Why this matters:
A connection error is transparent — the user knows the feature exists and is broken. Silent removal is opaque — the user has no way to know whether it's a bug, a deliberate change, or a configuration issue. There has been no announcement or changelog entry explaining this change.

Expected behavior:
The Claude in Chrome connector should appear in the tool list (even if it fails to connect), so users can at least see it exists and get a meaningful error.

Actual behavior:
Tool completely absent from session. No error. No indication it was ever available.