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Search – A small, fast WebKit browser for macOS, by Office Commun

github.com57 points20 comments
Screenshot of Search – A small, fast WebKit browser for macOS, by Office Commun

Search is a minimalist, privacy-first WebKit browser for macOS that prioritizes speed, low footprint, and quiet operation. It replaces toolbars and welcome screens with a single omnibox and a compact tab model (top or left), restoring tabs quickly without loading their web processes until activated. Built-in features include address autocompletion from local history, a reading mode, picture-in-picture video, persistent per-site hiding of cookie banners and overlays, and an ad/tracker blocker enforced at the network level so unwanted resources never render. Passwords live in the macOS keychain and can be imported from other browsers; there is no cloud sync, telemetry, or crash reporting, and a private-tab mode keeps an isolated cookie jar.

The project is open source and intentionally small - roughly 12,700 lines of Swift - with a clean architecture using SwiftUI for UI, AppKit for a few macOS integrations, and WKWebView for page content. Tabs are implemented with one web view per tab created lazily, the ad blocker uses a WKContentRuleList compiled once at launch, and hidden elements are removed by injecting per-site stylesheets at document start. Extension support runs on WebKit’s WKWebExtension (macOS 15.4+): CRX3 signatures are checked, and a set of native “shims” provides Chrome APIs WebKit lacks. Build instructions target macOS 14/Xcode 16 with SwiftPM and scripts for packaging; self-built apps require manual allow/open since they won’t carry the publisher’s notarization.

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