Helium Browser is a Chromium-based web browser engineered for maximum privacy and performance. It achieves this by meticulously stripping out Google services, telemetry, and unnecessary bloat, offering users a transparent, distraction-free, and user-controlled browsing experience. The browser comes with uBlock Origin pre-integrated, providing default ad and tracker blocking, alongside a minimalist design that prioritizes content over clutter.
Developed by Imput, Helium Browser adheres to an “Internet without interruptions” philosophy, building upon ungoogled-chromium to ensure privacy from the first launch. It makes no web requests without explicit user consent and anonymizes internal requests to the Chrome Web Store, preventing Google from tracking extension downloads. Beyond privacy, it enhances productivity with features like Split View for side-by-side browsing and native !bangs for quick searches, all while maintaining a lightweight profile by reducing CPU and RAM usage.
In This Post
The Winning Edge
Initial Privacy Setup and Onboarding
- Upon first launch, Helium Browser will present an onboarding page at helium://setup.
- Carefully review the privacy features and initial preferences, such as enabling/disabling Helium Services for proxying extension downloads and updates.
- Choose your preferred default search engine (DuckDuckGo is often recommended for privacy).
- Confirm your settings to begin browsing with enhanced privacy defaults. You can always revisit settings by typing helium://settings in the address bar or via the menu icon (⋮).
Why: This initial setup is crucial for configuring Helium Browser to your specific privacy needs, ensuring zero telemetry and control over external connections from the start.
Customizing Ad Blocking with uBlock Origin
- Click the uBlock Origin icon (shield icon) in the browser toolbar.
- Open the Dashboard by clicking the gear icon.
- Navigate to the Filter lists tab to enable or disable specific blocking lists. Recommended lists are enabled by default, providing excellent protection.
- For advanced blocking, use the element picker tool (eyedropper icon) to manually block annoying elements on any webpage.
Why: While uBlock Origin works great out-of-the-box, customizing its filter lists allows you to fine-tune ad and tracker blocking, addressing specific website issues or enhancing protection further.
Boosting Productivity with Native !bangs
- In the address bar, type an exclamation mark followed by a shortcut (e.g., !w for Wikipedia, !gh for GitHub, !chatgpt for an AI provider).
- After the !bang shortcut, type your search query (e.g., !w privacy to search Wikipedia for privacy).
- Press Enter to directly navigate to the search results on the specified website, bypassing a general search engine.
Why: Native !bangs significantly speed up your browsing by allowing direct searches on thousands of websites, reducing clicks and keeping your queries private as they are resolved locally.
Download Helium Browser
File size: 114 MB
OS support: Windows, macOS, Linux
Windows
Download Helium Browser – x64 Portable
Download Helium Browser – ARM64
Download Helium Browser – ARM64 ARM64 Portable
macOS
Download Helium Browser – ARM64
Linux
Key Features
- Zero Telemetry & Enhanced Privacy: Helium Browser makes no web requests without explicit user consent and communicates with nothing on its first launch. It blocks third-party cookies, implements anti-fingerprinting measures, and anonymizes Chrome Web Store requests to prevent tracking.
- Built-in uBlock Origin: Unlike many browsers, Helium ships with uBlock Origin pre-integrated as a native component. It actively blocks ads, trackers, and phishing attempts by default using community-maintained filters, ensuring an interruption-free browsing experience.
- Split View Multitasking: A unique productivity feature, Split View allows users to open and view multiple web pages side-by-side within a single browser window. This enhances multitasking capabilities, a feature often absent in standard Chromium builds.
- Native !bangs for Quick Search: Inspired by DuckDuckGo, Helium Browser supports native !bangs, enabling users to perform quick searches across various websites directly from the address bar, bypassing traditional search engines for faster access.
- Minimalist UI & Lightweight Performance: The browser’s interface is designed to be compact and unobtrusive, maximizing screen space for web content. By removing background processes and Google’s sync services, Helium significantly reduces CPU and RAM usage, ensuring fast and efficient performance.
- Legacy Extension Support: Helium Browser extends support for Manifest v2 extensions, such as advanced versions of uBlock Origin or Scraper, longer than standard Chrome. This ensures continued functionality for specialized tools that users rely on.
- Open-Source Transparency: The entire project is fully open-source, allowing for public audits and reproducibility of its builds. This commitment to transparency fosters trust and enables community contributions to its development.
Product Specifications
| Software Name | Helium Browser |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.12.3.1 |
| License | Open Source (GPL-3.0, BSD-3-Clause) |
| File Size | 114 MB |
| OS Support | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Language | English |
| Developer | Imput |
| Homepage | https://helium.computer/ |
| Changelogurl | https://github.com/imputnet/helium/releases |
| Last Updated | April 28, 2026 |
Technical Requirements
Minimum
- OS: macOS 12+
How to Install
Installation Steps
- Click the download button above for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
- Locate the downloaded installer file (e.g., .exe for Windows, .dmg for macOS, or .tar.xz for Linux) and double-click to run it.
- Follow the on-screen installation wizard, accepting the license agreement and choosing your preferred installation location.
- Once installation is complete, launch Helium Browser from your applications folder or desktop shortcut.
Compatibility: For Windows, ensure you are running Windows 10 or 11. For macOS, version 12 or newer is recommended. Linux users can typically use the provided AppImage or package for their distribution.
Problem Solving
- Issue: Installation fails or browser doesn’t launch → Solution: Ensure your operating system meets the minimum requirements and try running the installer as an administrator.
- Issue: Automatic updates not working on Windows/Linux → Solution: While macOS supports automatic updates, Windows and Linux builds may require manual updates or specific configurations for auto-updating.
FAQ
Is Helium Browser free to use?
Yes, Helium Browser is completely free and open-source. Its codebase, including associated online services, is publicly available on GitHub, allowing for transparency and community contributions.
Does Helium Browser support Chrome extensions?
Yes, Helium Browser is built on Chromium and supports all Chrome extensions, including Manifest V2 extensions. It also anonymizes internal requests to the Chrome Web Store to protect your privacy during extension downloads.
What operating systems does Helium Browser support?
Helium Browser is available as a cross-platform desktop application, supporting Windows (10 and 11), macOS (version 12 and later), and various Linux distributions (often distributed as an AppImage).
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