What it is
Helium is a web browser built on Chromium, the open-source project behind Google Chrome. It keeps Chrome’s speed and compatibility but strips out the parts that phone home: no Google account sync nagging, no telemetry, and uBlock Origin built in to block ads and trackers from the first page you open.
Because it’s Chromium underneath, sites that work in Chrome work in Helium, and extensions from the Chrome Web Store install as usual.
Why it’s here
- Private by default. Ad and tracker blocking is on out of the box, with no settings to hunt for.
- Chrome-compatible. Web apps, video calls and extensions behave as they do in Chrome.
- Light. Without Google’s background services it starts quickly and uses less memory.
On CoreDesktop
Helium is installed from the AUR and set as your default browser once, at install. Links you click in other apps open in it. If you’d rather use another browser, pick it in Settings › Apps › Default Apps: CoreDesktop won’t change it back.
update keeps Helium current along with the rest of the AUR packages.