OpenAI to shut down ChatGPAT Atlas browser less than a year after its launch
OpenAI launched its desktop browser, ChatGPT Atlas, on October 21, 2025. Less than a year after its release, the company has announced that it will be discontinuing the browser. When it was released, OpenAI described Atlas as a browser that can perform tasks on behalf of the user, aka an agentic AI that can automate tasks based on user prompts. This week, during the ChatGPT work announcement, OpenAI revealed that the ChatGPT Atlas is closing on August 9, 2026.
But that doesn’t mean OpenAI is abandoning its browser. The decision to discontinue the browser is part of OpenAI’s efforts to simplify the desktop user experience. OpenAI is said to be preparing a “superapp” that will combine the functionalities of the Atlas browser, the Codex coding tool, and the ChatGPT app into a single app.
The Verge The report said that OpenAI’s competition with bitter rival Anthropic played a significant role in its decision to refocus its efforts. OpenAI wants to catch up with Anthropic’s work on the cloud, which has added several productivity features. Can OpenAI’s SuperApp turn the tables in its favor?
ChatGPT’s voice mode gets some major improvements
OpenAI announced chatgpt liveUpgrade to voice mode of AI service. Previous voice models used a turn-based system to provide responses, affecting its ability to maintain the flow of conversation and the accuracy of its answers. Newer models are built on full-duplex architecture, capable of processing input and output simultaneously.
the company says This is its smartest voice model. GPT-Live is designed to enhance the voice experience by listening to users and remaining silent while the user talks. It will also engage with the user with phrases like “mhmm” or “yes” to show that he or she is paying attention to them. Users can use GPT-Live for a variety of tasks including search, storage, images, and file uploads. GPT-Live will use GPT-5.5 in the background to generate answers from the web. Voice mode will now display visual answers for certain topics like weather, stocks, sports.
GPT-Live is available to users on Android, iOS, and the web. Free users will get access to GPT-Live-1-Mini, while GPT-Live-1 will be the new default voice model for ChatGPT Go, Plus, and Pro customers.
DuckDuckGo browser can now block YouTube ads
DuckDuckGo’s browser has been around for a few years, and although it had a built-in ad blocker, the feature wasn’t perfect, especially when it came to blocking ads on YouTube. That changed this week, as the search engine provider released an updated version of its browser with the ability to block YouTube ads.
It should not be confused with Duck Player, which exists in the browser and lets users watch videos directly on the search results page, without being tracked by cookies or personalized ads. The YouTube ad blocker in the DuckDuckGo browser is different, it blocks ads that appear in videos on YouTube’s website. To enable ad blocking, DuckDuckGo uses filter lists Which is obtained from the open-source extension, uBlock Origin.
YouTube ad blocking is enabled by default on the DuckDuckGo browser for Windows, macOS, and iPhone, so users can watch videos without ads on YouTube’s website. Ad blocking will soon be automatically enabled on Android, but users can manage the ad blocking experience from the Settings > Ad Blocking section. Alternatively, if you want to disable ads for some reason, you can tap the menu and disable YouTube ad blocking on mobile. Desktop users can also do this by clicking the video icon next to the shield icon on the address bar. DuckDuckGo says that ad blocking may result in additional buffering time, and this is normal. Things may improve in the future, when DuckDuckGo adds its own rules and filter lists.
Android backups will now count towards Google account storage
Google has made a small change to its policy regarding Android backups, specifically regarding data that counts toward Google account storage. Generally, Android backup is considered to be media, i.e. photos and videos that were uploaded to Google Photos and MMS data. These will count as part of the 15GB of free storage space that each individual Google Account is eligible for. Now, Google says Android backup will include all data It is synced to the cloud, including SMS messages, call history and device settings. Users can toggle the types of data included in Android backup, which allows more detailed control. For example, if a user wants his MMS messages, call history, and device settings to be backed up to the cloud, he can enable all three, or disable one or more types as needed.
Some users are concerned about this change, but in reality, the policy change only increases account data storage by about 40 MB. Although 40 megabytes may seem like a modest amount, it makes a lot more sense if you consider billions of user accounts. That’s a lot of storage. The new rule goes into effect July 7, 2026, but toggles for the new data types are still being rolled out to users.
Meta could be fined by EU due to addictive features of Instagram and Facebook
The European Commission has published its preliminary findings By examining Meta’s services. The EU has accused the US company of violating the Digital Services Act by making Instagram and Facebook addictive. In particular, it found features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommendation systems to be problematic. The EU says Meta failed to assess the risks of addictive design on users’ well-being. According to the report, social networking services constantly show new content to users, which increases the user’s desire to keep scrolling. These characteristics affect mental health by putting the brain in autopilot mode, leading to unhealthy habits and compulsive use. It has been warned that this may also affect the physical health of the users.
The EU was particularly critical of META’s disregard for the amount of time minors spend at night viewing reels and stories on Facebook or Instagram. It added that the time management tools in both apps, which are activated by default for teens, can be easily dismissed, and do not offer meaningful reduction or control over use. The Commission also said that the parental controls offered by Meta are only effective if parents or guardians are tech-savvy, and require time and effort to understand the options.
META has the right to review the report and respond to the Commission’s findings. But, if it is found guilty of violating the law, the Commission can issue non-compliance decisions along with hefty fines, i.e. 6% of the company’s worldwide annual turnover. It’s likely that Meta will have to redesign Instagram and Facebook in a non-addictive way, and also educate users about long-term use of the services.
