Claude in Chrome extension not connecting after installation and restart
Status Open
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 0 comments · opened Sep 9, 2026
Issue
The Claude in Chrome extension is installed and enabled in Chrome, but fails to connect when attempting to use browser automation tools. The extension appears in the chrome://extensions page with the toggle enabled (purple switch), but tabs_context_mcp returns "Browser extension is not connected" error message.
Steps to Reproduce
- Install Claude in Chrome extension from https://claude.ai/chrome
- Verify extension is enabled in chrome://extensions (toggle is ON)
- Ensure logged into https://claude.ai with the same account
- Fully restart Chrome (close all windows and reopen)
- Attempt to call tabs_context_mcp in Claude Code
Expected Behavior
The extension should connect successfully and return available tabs
Actual Behavior
tabs_context_mcp returns: "Browser extension is not connected. Please ensure the Claude browser extension is installed and running"
Environment
- Chrome version: Latest
- Claude Code session: Active
- Extension version: Latest from Chrome Web Store
- Account: Logged into https://claude.ai and Chrome browser
Troubleshooting Attempted
- Verified extension is installed
- Verified extension toggle is enabled (blue/purple)
- Fully restarted Chrome
- Verified logged into https://claude.ai
- Multiple connection attempts still fail