[BUG] Switching accounts.... Chrome extension cannot be connected to by Claude code windowss desktop app

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

[BUG] Switching accounts.... you have to reboot to get Windows Desktop Claude o be able to talk to Chrome extension. I have tried closing both, logging out of all three (claude.ai, extnsion, and desktop) nothing works. Very frustrating.

What Should Happen?

It should be able to see the extension and drive the browser!

Error Messages/Logs

Title: Claude in Chrome extension fails to reconnect after switching accounts

Environment
- Client: Claude Code Windows desktop app (version: check Settings/About in the app)
- OS: Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26200
- Feature: "Claude in Chrome" extension / browser connection

Observed failure
- Called the tool that lists connected Chrome browsers (list_connected_browsers)
  and it returned a completely empty array — not even a stale/disconnected
  entry for my device.
- No error was thrown; the call "succeeded" but reported zero connected
  browsers. This is a silent failure — no error dialog, no retry prompt —
  which makes it hard to tell "extension not installed" apart from
  "extension installed but failed to reconnect."
- This happened mid-task, blocking a workflow that needed the browser to
  check a logged-in-only page state.


Questions for the team
- Is there a local extension state/cache that needs clearing on account
  switch, separate from logging out of Chrome itself?
- Can the "list connected browsers" check distinguish "no extension
  installed" from "extension installed but handshake/registration failed"?
  Right now both look identical (empty array), so the failure is invisible
  until a user happens to notice a tool returning nothing.

Steps to Reproduce

Repro steps

1. Switch Claude/Chrome between two different accounts.
2. Extension fails to reconnect to the new account's session.
3. Tried: logging out/in of the extension, restarting Chrome, restarting the

Claude app — none restored the connection.

1. Symptom persists across restarts, suggesting stale state isn't just

in-memory (survives process restart) — possibly cached auth/session
tokens on disk, or a device-registration mismatch between the extension
and the currently active account.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

Yes, this worked in a previous version

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.96

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

Windows

Terminal/Shell

Other

Additional Information

_No response_