Atlas ends on August 9th: checklist for saving favorites, passwords, cookies and tabs

ChatGPT Atlas is scheduled to stop working on Sunday, August 9, 2026. For those who start the migration on August 6th, there are three days left to save important data and confirm that it actually opened at the destination.

The transfer will not be automatic. OpenAI informs that favorites, open tabs and browsing history will not move alone to the new environment. The release notes also indicate the possibility of bringing passwords and cookies to the ChatGPT desktop application, but the detailed documentation points out that exporting cookies depends on the options available to each user. Cookies and active sessions cannot be imported normally into another browser such as Chrome.

Therefore, the task does not end when a file is downloaded. Each data type needs a compatible target and subsequent testing. Start today with the credentials and tabs you couldn't rebuild later.

Atlas migration matrix

The matrix follows the destinations indicated by OpenAI for the discontinuation of Atlas. Chrome supports HTML bookmarks and CSV passwords, but does not offer normal import of cookies and sessions from another browser.

1. Take inventory before exporting

Open all Atlas windows and profiles you use. Different profiles can maintain their own sets of favorites, history and cookies, so repeating the export per profile avoids preserving only part of the data.

Register, at a minimum:

• which Atlas profiles are in use;
• how many important windows and tabs are open;
• which accounts depend on saved passwords;
• which sites need to remain connected;
• which history pages would be difficult to locate again;
• where each exported file will be saved.

Create a local folder with an identifiable name, such as migration-atlas-2026-08-06. Do not place password files or cookies in an unprotected public, shared, or synchronized folder.

Before closing any window, use Atlas's tab search, available via the shortcut Command + Shift + A, to find pages spread across different windows.

2. Export bookmarks to an HTML file

Favorites have the most direct and verifiable migration path.

1. Open the Atlas.
2. Go to More (…) → Favorites and lists → Favorites manager.
3. Open the Bookmark Manager menu.
4. Select Export favorites.
5. Save the file in HTML format in the folder created for migration.
6. Give the file a clear name, such as favorites-atlas-personal-2026-08-06.html.
7. Repeat the process on other profiles, if they exist.

The Atlas documentation confirms that the Bookmark Manager allows you to export the library to HTML.

How to import bookmarks in Chrome

1. Open Chrome.
2. Select More → Favorites and lists → Import favorites and settings.
3. Choose the option to import by file.
4. Select the HTML exported by Atlas.
5. Click Open and then Done.

Chrome may place items in a folder called Imported, Other Favorites, or equivalent. Open the Bookmark Manager and check these locations before concluding that the import failed.

Mandatory favorites test

Do not validate the migration just by the presence of the folder. Open at least:

• a favorite from the main bar;
• one item from each important folder;
• an address with a long path;
• a website that requires login;
• an old page that you wouldn't know how to search again.

Keep HTML as a backup even after import. Unlike a password file, it doesn't expose credentials, although it can still reveal habits, projects, and private pages.

3. Save open tabs before closing Atlas

Tabs will not be automatically rebuilt in the new browser. The official guidance is to bookmark important pages or copy their URLs to a safe location.

Sort into three groups:

• Keep open: work-in-progress pages, incomplete forms, and systems used daily.
• Save for later: research, documents, tutorials and references.
• Discard: duplicate tabs, home pages, completed searches and content of no future use.

For each important set, create a favorites folder with a name such as Atlas Tabs — Work or Atlas Tabs — Search. When you don't want to make the page a permanent favorite, copy the entire address to a local document.

OpenAI documents that Atlas allows you to search open tabs in all windows. Use this feature to check that no secondary windows are left out of the inventory.

Unsubmitted forms, typed text, and internal page states may not be preserved with URL alone. Copy important content before logging out, without storing passwords, card numbers or other sensitive data in common documents.

4. Preserve essential history pages

Atlas history will also not be transferred automatically. There is no universal flow in the exit guidance to take the entire history to another browser. The recommendation is to save or add to favorites the pages that will still be needed.

Open the Atlas history view and search for:

• project names;
• client systems;
• recently consulted documents;
• support pages;
• research still ongoing;
• receipts, receipts and temporary pages;
• sites accessed only by auto-completing the bar.

Make the really important results into favorites or copy the URLs. Trying to preserve everything can produce a long list that is difficult to check; The objective is to protect what would have a real cost to be found again.

5. Migrate passwords with extra care

The OpenAI release notes advise that Atlas passwords can be exported to the ChatGPT desktop app. This app's built-in browser maintains its own browsing state and offers password management, autofill, and login support, although feature availability may depend on plan and workspace.

In Atlas, open Password Manager from the path:

Settings → Passwords & Autofill → Password Manager

You can also access directly:

atlas://password-manager/passwords

From there:

1. Confirm that important accounts appear in the list.
2. Identify sites for which you use access key instead of password.
3. Look for the official migration or export option presented by Atlas.
4. When the destination is the ChatGPT desktop app, follow the flow displayed by the product itself.
5. Restart the target application before testing.
6. Sign into critical accounts without removing Atlas data yet.

Menu names may vary as Atlas uses Chromium-based labels and some controls may change between versions.

When the password export option does not appear

Do not manually copy internal Atlas profile folders and do not install unknown extensions that promise to extract credentials.

First, verify that Atlas displays the official exit or migration flow. If it is not available, record which accounts depend exclusively on stored passwords and contact OpenAI support before closing.

For critical accounts, use Atlas while it still fulfills the credential to:

• confirm the recovery email or phone number;
• update password when necessary;
• register the credential directly in the new manager;
• review two-factor authentication;
• save recovery codes in an appropriate location.

Do not assume that a passkey was transferred just because the password for the same site appeared at the destination. Test each key separately and, when necessary, register a new one on your chosen browser or device.

CSV import in Chrome

Use this path only if Atlas itself offers CSV password export.

In Chrome:

1. Go to More → Passwords & Autofill → Google Password Manager.
2. Open Settings.
3. Under Import passwords, click Select file.
4. Choose the exported CSV.
5. Complete the import.
6. Test the math.
7. Permanently delete the CSV.

The CSV file contains the credentials in human-readable format. Anyone with access to the file can view the addresses, users and passwords. Google recommends deleting it after importing.

6. Treat cookies and sessions as temporary credentials

Cookies can keep an account logged in without requiring the password to be re-entered. For this reason, a cookie or session file may grant access to services used in Atlas.

OpenAI presents two formulations that need to be read together:

• the release notes indicate that cookies may be exported to the ChatGPT desktop application;
• the detailed guide says that Atlas will offer export options when available and that cookies or active sessions cannot be imported into another browser in the normal way.

Therefore, look for the official option displayed in the Atlas and only use the destination indicated by the product. Don't share the file, don't send it via email, and don't try to convert it with third-party tools.

To migrate to Chrome, Safari or Firefox, the safest and most predictable path is to re-enter the sites. Before you begin, confirm that you have:

• required passwords;
• access to recovery email or phone number;
• authenticator application;
• physical security keys, when used;
• Important account recovery codes.

After opening the target browser, log in to essential services first. Don't just test sites that maintain sessions for long periods: include an account with two-factor authentication and one that requires email confirmation.

7. Take the post-migration test before the deadline

Migration is only complete when data works outside of Atlas.

Favorites

• Do the expected folders appear?
• Were names and addresses kept?
• Do links from different folders open correctly?
• Are imported favorites hidden in “Other favorites” or “Imported”?

Passwords

• Is the correct user populated?
• Does the password allow entry?
• Does two-factor authentication work?
• Accounts with more than one login weren't confused?
• Have access keys been tested separately?

Cookies and sessions

• Does the account remain logged in after restarting the app?
• Is the correct profile active?
• Sensitive sites request re-authentication when they should?
• No session files were left in a public or shared folder?

Tabs and history

• Are all essential pages in the migration folder?
• Are the copied URLs complete?
• Have forms, drafts and temporary pages been handled?
• Do saved tabs open in the chosen browser?

Finally, close and reopen the target browser. This simple step helps uncover temporary sessions, incomplete imports, and data that was only working because the original window was still open.

What doesn't need to be exported from Atlas

ChatGPT conversation history is separate from Atlas browsing data. According to OpenAI, conversations will continue to be available on ChatGPT, depending on the plan, workspace settings and account access. Closing your browser does not automatically delete your chats.

This does not eliminate the need to review downloaded files, local documents, and conversations that contain relevant information. The distinction is that chats belong to the ChatGPT account, while favorites, tabs, history, cookies and credentials are part of the local browsing state.

Recommended order for the remaining three days

August 6: inventory profiles, export favorites, find critical credentials, and save all important tabs.

August 7: complete the migration of passwords and cookies through the official flow available, re-enter services that do not accept session transfer and import favorites.

August 8: restart applications, test accounts, compare folders, review history and fix issues.

August 9: use Atlas only to retrieve an item identified in the tests. Do not leave the first export until the last day, as the product may stop opening or browsing after the scheduled closure.

Save and test the export today. The downloaded file is just the beginning; data is preserved when you can find it, open it, and use it at the destination without relying on Atlas.