AI is everywhere – some are good, some are bad, but the AI in Internet browsers seems to belong in the latter category, as a lot of people have been echoing the same voices – Browsers just don’t need to be ultra smart while knowing everything about the user.
So here’s ‘Just the Browser‘, an open-source project created by US developer Corbin Davenport, and instead of asking you to switch browsers or install a bunch of extensions, it works with what you already use. Chrome, Edge, and Firefox are all supported, and the project relies on official enterprise and group policy settings that are already built into these browsers, the same ones companies use to lock things down on office PCs. The difference is, this time, those controls are handed back to regular users.
Once applied, Just the Browser quietly turns off a long list of features that many people feel have crept in uninvited over the years. That includes built-in AI tools like Edge’s Copilot, various telemetry and data collection functions, shopping helpers and price trackers, sponsored content on new tab pages, and those persistent prompts asking you to import data or make a browser your default. It even stops browsers from auto-starting with your system, which is a small change that can feel surprisingly refreshing.
It is also strictly doing what it is aiming to do, as it doesn’t block ads on websites, alter how pages load, or interfere with site content in any way, since there’s a different set of extensions covering that department. And for whatever reason, you think you need these “AI features”, everything can be reverted without much hassle.
Right now, Just the Browser is aimed squarely at desktop users on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with no mobile version available yet. But pretty sure if there’s enough demand around the world, they’ll be cooking something for iOS and Android down the line.
