Situatie
Here’s a quick look at what Just the Browser does best to simplify modern web browsers.
- It disables built-in AI assistants and experimental AI modes, removing features like Microsoft Copilot in Edge, Gemini in Chrome, and similar integrations in Firefox.
- Strips out shopping-related clutter, including price tracking, coupon pop-ups, cashback prompts, and buy-now-pay-later offers that interrupt browsing sessions.
- Removes sponsored content and third-party recommendations from new tab pages, such as suggested articles, ads, and promotional shortcuts.
- Turns off telemetry, studies, and most background data collection features to significantly improve user privacy, while leaving optional crash reporting enabled where supported.
- Eliminates default browser nags, welcome screens, and repeated prompts to import data or change system settings.
- Prevents browsers from launching background services or startup boost processes without explicit user permission, helping reduce resource usage.
- Works across Windows, macOS, and Linux using native policy formats like registry files, mobile configuration profiles, and JSON policies.
- Uses fully readable and auditable configuration files, ensuring every change is transparent and reversible without extensions or binary modifications.
Installation and Setup
One of the best things about this utility is that it supports all major operating systems. It uses a script to automate the process, so you don’t have to manually edit registry files or system folders.
On Windows, the tool uses a PowerShell script to apply registry changes. Simply right-click your Start button and select Terminal (Admin). Then, copy the following installation command, paste it into your terminal, and hit Enter.
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/corbindavenport/just-the-browser/main/main.ps1")))The script will launch a simple menu.
Type the number corresponding to the browser you want to clean (e.g., 1 for Chrome, 2 for Edge) and press Enter.
Mac and Linux users can also use the terminal to download and run the setup script. Simply open your terminal emulator of choice and run:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/corbindavenport/just-the-browser/main/main.sh)"The script will detect which browsers you have installed (Chrome, Firefox, or Chromium). Select your browser from the list, and the script will drop the necessary JSON policy files into the correct folder.
Once the script finishes, the changes are usually immediate. You simply need to restart your browser (fully quit and reopen it). When you open Chrome or Edge next, you might see a message saying “Managed by your organization.” This is good! It means the policies are active and the tool is successfully blocking the bloat.
Further, you can also verify which policies are active in Firefox by typing about:policies in the address bar, while Chrome and Edge users should navigate to chrome://policy/ or edge://policy/. You’ll see a complete list of applied settings.
Removing the settings from your browser
If you decide you want to remove Just the Browser configurations later, rerun the installation script the same way you ran it while installing in PowerShell. The menu will appear with options for updating and removing settings for a specific browser. From there, select Remove Settings option and press Enter, and your browser will return to its default state.
Some Drawbacks of Just the Browser
Just the Browser relies on enterprise settings in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, so the cleanup only works as long as those policies continue to exist and behave the same way. If browser vendors change or remove them in future updates, the configuration files may need adjustments. The setup also requires administrator access, which can be a problem on work or school managed computers where policy changes are restricted.
In addition, the applied policies do not remove AI features from Google Search; they only affect the browser software. It is also designed for desktop platforms only, so if you do most of your browsing on mobile devices, you will still see AI features and other content there.
Leave A Comment?