Fact · Dictation in your apps
The activeTab permission gives an extension temporary access to the current tab only when the user invokes the extension, such as by clicking its action.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“gives an extension temporary access to the currently active tab when the user invokes the extension”
The activeTab permission, Chrome for Developers, 2026, Overview.
Open the original- What it measures
- A Chrome extension can request this narrower permission instead of access to every site.
- What it does not show
- Access ends when the user leaves the page, so an extension using only activeTab cannot dictate on pages you have not invoked it on.