OpenAI recently launched the new Codex Chrome extension, but many developers immediately ran into the same issue: the extension either cannot be in...
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This looks a lot more like a Chrome Web Store rollout delay than anything specific to Codex. I’ve seen new extensions take a while to appear depending on region, account state, and how far the listing has propagated, so the “not available” message can be misleading early on.
Appreciate you calling it out, because this is exactly the kind of thing that trips people up right after a launch. A lot of devs will assume they’re missing a requirement or that access is restricted, when it can just be staged availability catching up.
That’s honestly a very fair point, and I think you’re probably right that Chrome Web Store propagation is a big part of it.
What made it confusing is that the errors users are seeing look almost identical to a removed or restricted extension, especially with the generic “not available” messaging Chrome gives. Combined with the timing of the launch, it immediately created the impression that access was limited or something had been pulled back.
The staged rollout explanation makes a lot of sense here, especially this early after release.
I thought the extension was removed completely. I spent 30 minutes trying different Chrome profiles and reinstalling Chrome itself. Nothing worked.
You’re definitely not the only one running into this right now. The rollout appears highly inconsistent depending on account, region, and whether the Codex desktop integration is active. A lot of people are assuming it was removed because Chrome throws a very generic error page instead of explaining what’s actually happening.
Same issue here in Germany. The extension page exists, but install is blocked. Looks like another half finished AI launch honestly.
There definitely seems to be a regional component involved. Most of the reports I’ve seen so far are coming from Europe and the UK. My guess is that browser permission reviews and staged rollout restrictions are slowing things down. The launch itself feels very early access at the moment.
OpenAI really needs to stop launching unfinished products. This is becoming a pattern.
I understand the frustration, especially because developers immediately try integrating these tools into real workflows. That said, browser based AI integrations are a completely different level compared to normal SaaS releases. Once an AI tool starts interacting with authenticated browser sessions, security reviews and rollout complexity increase massively.
Cursor still feels way more stable than this.
At the moment, I would agree. Cursor, Windsurf, and existing VS Code integrations are significantly more mature right now. The Codex Chrome extension feels more like the beginning of a larger long term strategy rather than a polished developer tool today.
Honestly this feels bigger than people realize. If Codex can actually interact with authenticated browser sessions, this changes everything.
Exactly. That’s the part many people are overlooking right now because everyone is focused on the installation problems. The real story is that OpenAI is moving toward persistent browser level AI workflows instead of isolated chatbot interactions. That could completely reshape browser automation and developer tooling over the next few years.