Claude in Chrome: browser extension frequently disconnects mid-session

Description

The Claude in Chrome browser extension repeatedly disconnects during active Claude Code CLI sessions, requiring manual intervention to reconnect. This has happened multiple times across different sessions.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Start a Claude Code CLI session with browser automation tools (mcp__claude-in-chrome__*)
2. Use browser automation tools actively (navigate, screenshot, click, javascript_exec, etc.)
3. After some period of use (varies — sometimes 10-30 min, sometimes longer), the extension stops responding
4. All subsequent browser tool calls return: "Browser extension is not connected. Please ensure the Claude browser extension is installed and running..."

Expected Behavior

The extension should maintain a stable connection throughout the CLI session, or automatically reconnect when the connection drops.

Actual Behavior

• Extension disconnects silently (no warning or error before it happens)
• tabs_context_mcp and switch_browser both fail with the same "not connected" error
• No amount of retrying from the CLI side reconnects it
• User must manually intervene in Chrome (toggle extension, restart browser, etc.)

Environment

• macOS (Darwin 25.3.0)
• Claude Code CLI with Claude Opus 4.6
• Chrome (latest)
• February 2026

Impact

This blocks browser automation workflows mid-task. In our case, we were posting content to Reddit and other platforms as part of a marketing campaign — the disconnection interrupted a multi-step posting workflow and required restarting the session.

Workaround

Sometimes toggling the extension off/on in chrome://extensions or restarting Chrome resolves it. No reliable workaround from the CLI side.