de-Googled Chromium · end-to-end encrypted
Surferse is Chromium with no Google telemetry by default, and one switch that stops every Google background connection. Sign in with UniAuth, and sync sealed end-to-end.
what makes it Surferse
Same engine, and your extensions run unmodified. No Google telemetry by default, and one switch for every Google background connection.
de-googled
Usage metrics have no endpoint compiled in, field-trial seeds are never requested, Google sign-in is gone, and Safe Browsing lookups are proxied through surferse.app. Set Google services to Block all and every Google background connection stops.
one identity
Right where Chrome would ask for a Google account, Surferse asks for you. A full PKCE OAuth handshake against your UniAuth identity — no advertising profile waiting on the other end.
aes-256-gcm
Bookmarks, open tabs, history, saved addresses and settings are encrypted on your device before they leave, under a key you provide: a sync passphrase, or on desktop your UniAuth Vault master password. The server stores ciphertext it cannot read.
zero relearning
Your extensions, your DevTools, your muscle memory — the whole Chromium platform, minus Google's telemetry.
the receipts
Where stock Chromium talks to Google, here's what Surferse does instead. The default Balanced mode keeps component updates working, plus DRM, web push and Chrome Web Store updates on macOS. Block all stops every Google background connection.
one universal identity
Open a new profile and — right where Chrome asks for a Google account — Surferse asks for you. One identity for the whole UniAuth constellation, over a real OAuth handshake. The browser is Surferse. The account is UniAuth. Everything in between is yours.
Bring your bookmarks, settings and tabs with you.
zero-knowledge sync
Your bookmarks cross the void as ciphertext. The relay that carries them cannot read them — and neither can we.
an honest comparison
Brave got a lot right. Chrome got the engine right. Surferse keeps what works — and answers to an identity that works for you, not an ad business.
| Capability | Surferse | Chrome | Brave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chromium engine, extensions run unmodified | |||
| No Google telemetry by default | — | ||
| Sign in with your own identity provider | — | — | |
| End-to-end encrypted sync, by default | passphrase opt-in | ||
| No ads, tokens or rewards bolted on | — |
Defaults, out of the box. Chrome sync becomes end-to-end encrypted only after setting a manual passphrase.
A browser holds your whole life. It should keep your secrets — not harvest them.why we built Surferse
fair questions
The claims on this page are checkable. Here's the fine print, minus the fine print energy.
By default, a few features still do, and one switch stops them. In the default Balanced mode, component updates connect to Google on macOS and iOS; on macOS, so do DRM-protected media, web push, and the Chrome Web Store whenever you install or update an extension. Usage metrics have no endpoint compiled in, field-trial seeds are never requested, and Safe Browsing lookups go through surferse.app as 32-bit hash prefixes, never URLs. Set Google services to Block all and every Google background connection stops. On macOS that costs DRM, web push, certificate-list updates and extension updates, including security updates. On iOS it costs offline suggestions, optimization hints and safety tips, a warning about lookalike phishing domains.
Yes, on macOS: Chromium extensions run unmodified. Installing and updating them uses the Chrome Web Store, which is a Google service. Under Block all you can still install extensions, but they stop receiving updates, including security updates. Surferse for iOS doesn't support extensions.
No. You only need to sign in for sync, your device list and account settings. Browsing, bookmarks and history all work signed out, and on macOS so do extensions.
We share an instinct: take Google's telemetry out of Chromium. We differ on what to add back. Brave layers on an ad network, rewards and a crypto wallet. Surferse adds a sign-in that answers to you and sync that only your devices can read, and nothing ad-supported.
macOS 13 or later on Apple Silicon, today. Intel Macs aren't supported. Surferse for iOS is on its way to the App Store, with the same UniAuth account and the same end-to-end encrypted sync.
ready when you are
Free. No account required to start. Sign in with UniAuth and add your sync key whenever you want your universe to follow you.
Download Surferse for macOS 179 MB