Social Browsing

A small, voluntary layer on the web

Same page.
New company.

Meet other people browsing the same page or website. Choose when to be present, join a conversation, and leave whenever you like.

Try the Chrome beta See the setup guide ↓

Free test build · No account · Chrome desktop 120+

01

You switch it on

Presence starts off. Read the welcome screen and give explicit consent before joining.

02

A shared place

Choose the current page or the whole website. Private conversations require an accepted request.

03

Made for the moment

Messages are short-lived. There is no server-side chat history to catch up on.

For curious early testers

A beta, with a few extra steps.

Choose a desktop browser below. Chrome, Edge and Opera use unpacked test ZIPs. Firefox has a temporary test ZIP; a signed, persistent XPI is not available yet.

These are test packages with manual updates. No store listing or signed Firefox download is published.

Choose your desktop browser
Social BrowsingChrome · beta ZIP
BETA

Checking the latest build…

Download beta ZIP

Download, extract, then follow the five steps below.

Your first visit

From ZIP to hello.

Choose a target above to see its installation steps. Desktop builds only; the older browser versions implied by API minimums have not all been tested.

  1. Download and extract

    Extract the ZIP into a permanent folder, such as a Social Browsing folder in Documents. Open it and check that manifest.json is directly inside. Keep this folder after installation.

  2. Open Chrome’s extensions page

    Copy this address into Chrome’s address bar and press Enter. Chrome does not let a regular website open this page for you.

    chrome://extensions

  3. Enable Developer mode, then Load unpacked

    Turn on Developer mode at the top right. Select Load unpacked and choose the extracted folder containing manifest.json. Keep Developer mode enabled while using this test build.

  4. Make your choice on the welcome screen

    Read how presence and chat work. Accept the privacy notice explicitly, then choose Enable Social Browsing and allow the relay permission when Chrome asks. Presence stays off until you enable it.

  5. Visit a public page and click the icon

    Open an ordinary public website and click Social Browsing in Chrome’s Extensions menu to open its side panel. Pin the icon for easier access. Another participating profile on the same page can meet you there.

A work or school browser may block Developer mode or unpacked extensions. Use a browser profile where you are allowed to install them.

Already here?

A fresh build. The same folder.

This unpacked build cannot update itself. Use Check for updates in the extension to open this page with your installed version, or compare the version here.

  1. Download and extract the new ZIP into a temporary folder.
  2. Copy the extracted runtime files into your original extension folder, replacing the old files. Do not move or rename the original folder.
  3. At chrome://extensions, find Social Browsing and click Reload. Do not remove and reinstall the extension.

Settings stay. Live chats restart.

Using the same folder preserves the unpacked extension’s identity and saved settings. Its identity depends on the folder path. Reloading clears transient messages and ends current connections; reconnect to continue.

Know what you share

A conversation is a choice.

Chat uses MLS end-to-end encryption. Anonymous keys remain unverified until independently compared; an active relay can substitute first-contact keys. Public participants can read new public messages. IP, timing, sizes and room membership remain visible.

This download page has no analytics, accounts, or forms. Appearance and language preferences stay in your browser.

Read the privacy details ↗

A little help

If something gets in the way.

The download is unavailable

The release details could not be loaded or did not pass validation. Try again above, check your connection, or return later. The download stays disabled until valid release details are available.

Chrome cannot find the manifest

Extract the ZIP first. Choose the folder that directly contains manifest.json, not the ZIP or its parent folder. Do not delete that extracted folder afterward.

The welcome screen did not open

Open Social Browsing from Chrome’s Extensions menu. The panel offers the setup screen while consent is still pending. Check that the extension is enabled at chrome://extensions.

I cannot see anyone

Only participating Social Browsing profiles count, not all website visitors. Enable social mode, allow the relay permission, and try an ordinary public page with another participating profile. Sensitive, local, private, blocked, and Chrome-internal pages do not participate.

The relay does not connect

Check your internet connection and the relay permission in the extension settings. A beta service can be temporarily unavailable or reach its free usage limits. Try again later; availability is not guaranteed.