[BUG] New tab page chat box does not respect Agent mode switch - always defaults to Chat mode

[zmzwynzj]

Issue Type

Agent Issue

Operating System

macOS

Description of the bug

Bug Description

The new tab page chat box does not properly respect the mode switch between Chat and Agent modes. When a user switches from Chat mode to Agent mode, the chat box continues to operate in Chat mode and refuses to perform agent tasks (such as opening new tabs, navigating pages, etc.), claiming it is in Chat mode.

Expected Behavior

After the user switches to Agent mode in the new tab page chat box, the assistant should operate in Agent mode and be able to perform browser automation tasks like opening new tabs, navigating to URLs, and executing browser actions.

Actual Behavior

1. When first starting a conversation, the new tab page defaults to Chat mode (expected).
3. The user switches to Agent mode by clicking the mode toggle.
5. When the user asks the assistant to perform a task (e.g., "open a new tab and search for something"), the assistant responds that it is in Chat mode and cannot perform such tasks.
7. The sidebar assistant with the exact same configuration works correctly in Agent mode.

Impact

This makes the new tab page chat box unusable for agent tasks, forcing users to rely solely on the sidebar assistant for any browser automation work. This is a significant UX issue since the new tab page is the primary interface for many users.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open BrowserOS and navigate to the new tab page
3. Observe that the chat box defaults to Chat mode
5. Type a simple message like "Hello" and send it
7. After receiving a response, switch to Agent mode by clicking the mode toggle
9. Ask the assistant to perform a browser task, e.g., "Please open a new tab and go to github.com"
11. Observe that the assistant responds saying it is in Chat mode and cannot perform the task
13. Now open the sidebar assistant and repeat the same process
15. Observe that the sidebar assistant correctly operates in Agent mode and can perform browser tasks

Screenshots / Videos

No response

BrowserOS Version

No response

Additional Context

Additional Information

• This issue appears to be specific to the new tab page chat box
• The sidebar assistant works correctly with the same configuration
• The mode toggle UI element appears to switch, but the backend state may not be updating properly
• This suggests a state synchronization issue between the UI and the underlying agent configuration

Possible Root Cause

The mode switch in the new tab page may only be updating a local UI state variable without properly communicating the mode change to the underlying agent system. The sidebar assistant likely has a different implementation that correctly updates the agent mode state.

[shadowfax92]

Thanks for the clear report and repro steps. We’ll take a look at how the new tab chat box carries mode changes between Chat and Agent.