Helium is a privacy-focused, open-source desktop browser built on Chromium that aims to provide a fast, non-intrusive, and highly efficient web experience.

The main features of this tool include:

• Privacy by Default: The browser blocks ads, trackers, and phishing sites automatically using community filters and uBlock Origin. It makes zero web requests on first launch and anonymizes all internal requests to the Chrome Web Store so Google cannot track your extension downloads.

• Performance and Efficiency: By stripping away "bloat" and adware, Helium is designed to be lighter and more energy-efficient than standard browsers. It leverages Chromium’s speed while optimizing it to ensure it does not slow down over time.

• Productivity Tools:

  • Split View: Allows users to open pages side-by-side for better multitasking.

  • Native !bangs: Includes over 10,000 offline shortcuts (like !w for Wikipedia or !gh for GitHub) to navigate directly to websites without using a search engine.

  • Standalone Web Apps: Users can install web apps as standalone desktop applications without duplicating the Chromium engine.

• Respectful User Interface: The UI is minimalistic and compact to maximize the content on screen. It follows a "respectful by design" philosophy, meaning there are no persistent popups, unprovoked tabs about sponsors, or forced restarts that interrupt your flow.

• Localized Security: To ensure absolute privacy, Helium does not include a cloud-based sync for history/data or a built-in password manager; it operates on the principle that your browsing data should only be accessible to you. It also enforces HTTPS on all websites.

• Extensive Compatibility: It supports all Chromium extensions, including continued support for Manifest V2 (MV2). Developers also benefit from cleaned-up DevTools that remove unnecessary "nagging".