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**ZDNET’s Essential Insights**
Just The Browser is a minimalist, privacy‑focused configuration tool designed to remove unnecessary or intrusive features from your preferred web browser, leaving only what you truly need for a streamlined experience. It functions seamlessly with three of the most widely used browsers—Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox—and is entirely free and open‑source, meaning its code can be reviewed and modified by anyone.
To be candid, I have no desire for artificial intelligence to embed itself inside my web browser. The notion of AI‑driven assistants passively monitoring my online activity or companies collecting personal data under the guise of “enhanced user experiences” deeply unsettles me. Likewise, I recoil at the presence of sponsored suggestions, cross‑promotional content, or forced product integrations that dilute the purity of the browsing experience. Such intrusions make me feel frustrated enough to metaphorically want to tear my hair out. I value my privacy above convenience and prefer to explore the internet in the same straightforward, distraction‑free way that once defined early web navigation.
That said, I am not opposed to AI as a concept. I occasionally utilize locally installed AI tools for narrowly defined tasks, such as improving my Python skills or conducting research without relying on major search engines that track usage patterns. But I draw a firm boundary: artificial intelligence should remain outside my everyday browser environment.
At the heart of modern productivity lies simplicity. I expect my digital tools to perform their designated functions without unnecessary embellishment. Decorative add‑ons may appear enticing at first, but when they compromise efficiency or slow performance, they transform from conveniences into obstacles. Consequently, when I first encountered **Just The Browser**, I was eager for the possibility of reclaiming that clean, efficient experience I had once taken for granted—a browser stripped of cruft and clutter.
**What Exactly Is Just The Browser?**
In essence, this tool modifies a browser’s internal setup through configuration files that disable superfluous elements such as built‑in AI components, telemetry tracking, and unwanted prompts. Its implementation is deliberately lightweight: no deep system integrations, no complex installations—just configuration automation. Being open source also inspires confidence, as any user can inspect its underlying scripts through its project repository on GitHub, ensuring transparency and security.
Initially, I approached the idea with skepticism. After all, most browsers already include hidden options allowing users to manually deactivate certain features if they are willing to dig through long lists of experimental flags or settings menus. For example, someone could launch Microsoft Edge and navigate to `edge://flags`, then painstakingly sift through the extensive catalog to disable each intrusive function one by one. But for anyone who values their time, the appeal of downloading a ready instrument—a script that performs this tedious cleanup automatically—is undeniable. In that respect, Just The Browser stands out as a convenient, efficient, and effective solution.
I decided to put the tool through its paces and document my experience across multiple browsers, beginning with Edge. Because my Edge installation was brand new and untouched, it provided a pristine environment to measure Just The Browser’s impact.
**Using Edge in Its Simplified Form**
Since I rarely rely on Microsoft Edge, installing it from scratch was my first step. During setup, I deliberately enabled **Copilot Mode**, Edge’s integrated AI assistant, in order to determine whether Just The Browser could successfully disable such artificial intelligence provisions. After verifying that Copilot was active, I closed Edge completely.
Next, I downloaded the appropriate script using the links corresponding to each browser—separate versions exist for **Chrome**, **Edge**, and **Firefox**. Once it finished downloading, I simply double‑clicked the file and followed the on‑screen directions, which turned out to be remarkably uncomplicated. Depending on whether you are on macOS or Windows, the steps vary slightly. In macOS, for instance, running the script prompts you to open **System Settings → General → Device Management**, where you’ll find a listing for the chosen browser. When you select that entry, an annotated list appears, enumerating every feature the tool disables—usually far more than you’d expect. After reviewing it, clicking **OK** completes the process; no settings need manual adjustment.
Upon reopening Edge, I discovered that **Copilot** was completely removed—a genuinely satisfying result. The browser launched faster and felt lighter, unencumbered by the extra processing overhead associated with AI‑driven inline suggestions. Yet, the experience was not entirely flawless. Although Copilot mode itself had vanished, a faint remnant of AI persistence could still be found on the New Tab Page: a query box and suggestion field that implied continued AI presence. Consulting the Just The Browser documentation shed light on what the script explicitly disables, including:
– All features reliant on generative AI models
– Edge or tab group suggestions in Firefox
– Built‑in tools such as price tracking and coupon recommendations
– Suggested and sponsored content on new tabs
– Pop‑ups prompting users to change default browsers
– Welcome screens encouraging data imports from other apps
– Browsing telemetry and data‑collection mechanisms
– Hidden routines that launch browsers automatically with the OS without permission
Given this scope, I was disappointed to see that some AI placeholders remained visible on Edge’s start page. However, delving into the internal **edge://policy** configuration confirmed that substantial components—particularly Copilot’s core functionality—had indeed been stripped away. As such, despite the residual cosmetic traces of AI, the underlying functionality was gone. I considered that an overall victory.
**Moving on to Chrome**
The next test environment was Google Chrome, already present on my Linux machine. The installation process differed slightly from the macOS/Windows version. On Linux, instead of executing a prepackaged script, I worked manually with configuration files. The steps were as follows:
1. Download the provided **configuration file** (`managed_policies.json`).
2. Create a new directory by executing the command:
`sudo mkdir /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed`
3. Move the JSON file into that directory using:
`sudo cp ./managed_policies.json /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed`
4. Open Chrome normally.
Before performing these steps, Chrome displayed the so‑called **AI Mode**—an intelligent suggestion feature integrated into the address bar. After installing Just The Browser’s configuration, I reopened Chrome to confirm that **AI Mode was fully disabled**. Additional inspection verified that no trace of AI utilities, hints, or background routines remained. The tool had delivered precisely as promised, rendering Chrome refreshingly straightforward again.
**A Note on Telemetry Removal**
However, the claim that Just The Browser eradicates all telemetry deserves a nuanced look. Complete elimination of browser data exchange is inherently complex because modern browsers intertwine useful synchronization and analytic services with unavoidable background communication. Upon inspection of Chrome’s privacy settings, I noticed several data‑sharing toggles—such as “Make searches and browsing better” or “Improve search suggestions”—still active. These functions transmit small amounts of data to Google’s servers to refine its algorithms. Therefore, although the AI‑disabling aspect of Just The Browser functioned flawlessly, its suppression of telemetry in Chrome appeared limited.
Nevertheless, that limitation does not negate its merit. Users can still manually disable residual telemetry within Chrome’s settings. From this perspective, the tool serves as an effective foundation, handling the most intrusive aspects automatically and leaving minor adjustments to the user’s discretion.
**Final Reflections**
If you prefer to keep your default browser rather than switching entirely but long for a cleaner, less invasive online environment, Just The Browser is a practical, free, and open‑source solution worth testing. It provides a rare sense of control in an age when digital simplicity often feels unattainable. By reclaiming authority over your own software, you can experience once again the kind of focused, uncluttered browsing that defined the early Internet—efficient, fast, and respectful of user privacy.
Sourse: https://www.zdnet.com/article/just-the-browser-tool-more-privacy-less-clutter-chrome-edge-firefox/
