October 19th, 2024

Zen: Firefox Based Browser

Zen Browser is a privacy-focused, open-source web browser based on Firefox, offering extensive customization, advanced tracking protection, and features like split views and vertical tabs for enhanced productivity.

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Zen Browser is a privacy-focused web browser built on Firefox, designed for simplicity and user customization. It offers a range of features including customizable themes, vertical tabs, and split views for multitasking. The browser prioritizes security with advanced tracking protection and minimal data collection, ensuring users' online activities remain private. Zen Browser is open-source, encouraging community contributions and collaboration to enhance its functionality. Users can easily manage tabs and access their favorite websites through a built-in sidebar. The browser also includes a compact mode to maximize screen space. Regular updates ensure that Zen Browser stays current with the latest features and security patches.

- Zen Browser is built on Firefox, ensuring up-to-date security and features.

- It offers extensive customization options for a personalized browsing experience.

- The browser emphasizes security and privacy with advanced tracking protection.

- Zen Browser is open-source and community-driven, promoting collaboration.

- Features like split views and better tab management enhance productivity.

Making "Zen Browser" A Firefox based browser that focuses on customizations

A new Firefox-based browser called Zen Browser prioritizes privacy and customization. It offers user control, security, and access to source code. The Zen team aims to create a tailored, secure browsing experience.

Firefox Tips and Tricks for Journalists

This article shares Firefox tips for journalists by Alex Dalenberg, focusing on productivity tools like Pocket, Pinned Tabs, and privacy features aligned with Mozilla's values. It promotes customization and user experiences.

Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

Zen Browser is a privacy-focused web browser emphasizing user experience, featuring multitasking tools, customizable workspaces, advanced security, and upcoming vertical tabs for better organization and productivity.

Testing the Firefox Alternatives

Mozilla's Firefox faces user criticism for prioritizing AI features over core functionality. Alternatives like LibreWolf, Floorp, and Zen are gaining popularity for better privacy and usability, despite their own challenges.

Get Firefox for Desktop

Mozilla has discontinued support for Firefox on Windows 8.1 and earlier, and macOS 10.14 and below, recommending Firefox ESR for those users. The browser emphasizes privacy and customization.

17 comments

By @imiric - 4 months

I've been pretty happy with LibreWolf for a few months now, which has similar goals, but delivered in a less flashy package. My first instinct is to distrust this based on the flashiness alone.

For someone who's tried both: any reasons I should consider switching or not?

According to [this page][1] Zen is slightly faster than LibreWolf. But honestly, performance has been acceptable for me, so it's not something that would compel me to switch.

[1]: https://docs.zen-browser.app/benchmarks

By @akimbostrawman - 4 months

Connects (at least) to:

- aus5.mozilla.org

- firefox.settings.services.mozilla.com

- location.services.mozilla.com

- push.services.mozilla.com

- redirector.gvt1.com

- s2.googleusercontent.com

- services.addons.mozilla.org

- support.mozilla.org

- zen-browser.app

Why even bother with this instead of just Firefox or an actual private fork like LibreWolf...

By @pvg - 4 months

Big recent discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41303974

By @jhickok - 4 months

I've been using Zen for around 2 months now as I mentally prepare to leave Google Chrome, and I have been pleasantly surprised. A few annoyances:

* there are bugs-- for example, I have been unable to launch Zen and I just get the bouncy icon on my macos task bar.

* when using the minimal tab view on the left hand pane, you cannot easily close tabs on a laptop because there is no "X" on hover-over

* for some reason youtube is less reactive than chrome. when I watch YT vids I frequently tap the right arrow key to skip ahead a few seconds, and there is a noticeable delay between zen and chrome. For now, I continue to use Chrome for YT videos.

By @butz - 4 months

Is anyone interested in building embeddable version of Gecko, like Chromium, so it could be used and reused in other browsers? I remember way back ago there was some browser that allowed switching between several versions of browser engines, one of those was Trident (Internet Explorer), as Windows made it embeddable at the time. Having a solid base anyone or any team could build up UI and features to their liking more easily and keep up with security updates too.

By @dotcoma - 4 months

I wish they had worked on better bookmarks instead of on a flashy appearance.

By @parski - 4 months

I love the split tabs feature. I do wish it was a bit more fleshed out, however. For example, I'd like tabs opened from a split tab replace that tab in the split view when switched to.

By @rekabis - 4 months

The installer could be made a lot more user-friendly by including both sets of binaries, and then running AVX2 code as it’s first step. Whether an exception is raised (and caught) or not will then determine which set of binaries are installed.

Otherwise I could easily see many (average, non-technical) people trying to install the default and then just giving up when it does nothing but throw an error message upon launch.

By @ivanmontillam - 4 months

I'm really happy to see Firefox-based web browsers. I don't have the manpower nor the resources myself to create my own, but this is definitely what the community needs in terms for backing down Chromium-based browsers.

I'd also be cool to have an embeddable Gecko to create web views in desktop apps, one that is not WebView2 or Electron. I bet that'd drive more the adoption.

By @boesboes - 4 months

Awesome, look great and a nice complement to LibreWolf I'd say.

A bit of choice and diverse ideas are very healthy for the ecosystem imo.

By @Alifatisk - 4 months

Switched to this from FF on both mac and win, very happy with it. I wish my configuration in the browser would easily apply to the rest of devices.

By @SJetKaran - 4 months

Do any of these variants have cast functionality built-in?

By @randomcatuser - 4 months

Does it have passkey support? (google sign in?)

By @redrove - 4 months

Is the macOS version still unsigned?

By @pipeline_peak - 4 months

Tabs already allow split view

By @cranberryturkey - 4 months

why not just use firefox?