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Personally, this is a nothing-burger. This is how native messaging works in extensions. Apps declare via manifest that extensions can talk to them. Further -

Personally, this is a nothing-burger. This is how native messaging works in extensions. Apps declare via manifest that extensions can talk to them. Further - the user still has to install the extension in the browser and the user has to approve the permissions popup that explicitly states the extension will have permission to "Communicate with cooperating native applications." See: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/permissions-list https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/permi... So it's hardly undisclosed. Every user with the extension has accepted this permissions popup that communicates that this is happening and allowed. (whether permissions prompts like this are actually helpful is a different topic).

OberstKrueger 6mo ago
The problem for me is that this is littering my drive with files in directory's for browsers I have never installed. I have never installed Arc or Brave or a few other of the browsers, but now I have directory's for them in my Application Support folder. Is it an easy cleanup? Sure. But I shouldn't be seeing support folders for apps I have never installed on my machine, ever.
- horsawlarway 6mo ago
  > But I shouldn't be seeing support folders for apps I have never installed on my machine, ever. I don't know why you think this? Macos uses application support as a place for user preferences and configuration. That chrome directory claude desktop creates is configuration FOR CLAUDE DESKTOP that instructs chrome (existing or future installs) that it's allowed to start processes related to claude desktop. On windows - this would have been a registry key for chrome pointing to the manifest file location On linux - it would be in .config/google-chrome These directories/settings explicitly exist in well-known locations to allow applications to configure and interoperate with each other. --- That fact that you might not have chrome installed at this moment is irrelevant. Honestly, I much prefer that it place the file regardless for two reasons 1. You might install chrome later, and this flow shouldn't require you to start claude desktop again to work 2. To be smart here is WAY worse. It would mean claude desktop needs to scan your machine for a variety of applications on each launch, get their install locations correct across each OS version, and have permissions to do this check, and then change behavior based on the results. Which I imagine based on the hyperbole in this thread already... is going to get them even worse press - not to mention be just incredibly annoying to maintain and flakey to support.

OberstKrueger 6mo ago

The problem for me is that this is littering my drive with files in directory's for browsers I have never installed. I have never installed Arc or Brave or a few other of the browsers, but now I have directory's for them in my Application Support folder. Is it an easy cleanup? Sure. But I shouldn't be seeing support folders for apps I have never installed on my machine, ever.

horsawlarway 6mo ago
> But I shouldn't be seeing support folders for apps I have never installed on my machine, ever. I don't know why you think this? Macos uses application support as a place for user preferences and configuration. That chrome directory claude desktop creates is configuration FOR CLAUDE DESKTOP that instructs chrome (existing or future installs) that it's allowed to start processes related to claude desktop. On windows - this would have been a registry key for chrome pointing to the manifest file location On linux - it would be in .config/google-chrome These directories/settings explicitly exist in well-known locations to allow applications to configure and interoperate with each other. --- That fact that you might not have chrome installed at this moment is irrelevant. Honestly, I much prefer that it place the file regardless for two reasons 1. You might install chrome later, and this flow shouldn't require you to start claude desktop again to work 2. To be smart here is WAY worse. It would mean claude desktop needs to scan your machine for a variety of applications on each launch, get their install locations correct across each OS version, and have permissions to do this check, and then change behavior based on the results. Which I imagine based on the hyperbole in this thread already... is going to get them even worse press - not to mention be just incredibly annoying to maintain and flakey to support.