Brouser

Documentation

Install

Download Brouser-Web-Setup.exe from the download page and run it. The web installer reads the latest release manifest, downloads the public packages and verifies each with SHA-256 before installing.

  • No administrator rights are needed.
  • Program files go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Brouser.
  • Your data (profiles, settings, libraries) goes to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Brouser.
  • A Start menu shortcut and a tray icon are created.

If Windows SmartScreen warns about an unknown publisher, choose “More info” and then “Run anyway”.

Updates

The Brouser launcher checks the release manifest (latest.json) for a newer version. Packages are accepted only from allowed download addresses and only when their SHA-256 hash matches the manifest.

A downloaded update is applied the next time you restart Brouser. Your profiles, settings and libraries are kept.

  • Update activity is written to update.log in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Brouser.
  • If a download fails or a hash does not match, the update is discarded and retried later.

Start page & speed dial

Every new tab opens the start page. At the top you see the protection status — “You are brotected” — together with the VPN state, a clock and the search box.

  • Statistics: trackers blocked, consent banners rejected, cookies cleaned, tabs unloaded, memory saved and VPN uptime.
  • Apps: tiles for the built-in apps. Use Edit to reorder or hide them.
  • Custom apps: upload an HTML file or a ZIP; it is served from a separate sandboxed origin.
  • Speed dial: your favourite sites. Use Add to create a tile, right-click a tile to edit or remove it.

Choose the search engine from the menu next to the search box.

VPN

Brouser can send its own traffic through a WireGuard tunnel. It uses wireproxy as a local SOCKS5 proxy, so only the browser goes through the VPN and Windows network settings are not changed.

  • The VPN is off by default. Turn it on with the switch on the start page or from the tray icon.
  • Tray icon: green when the tunnel is connected, red when it is off.
  • “secure” profile: the proxy is locked — if the tunnel is down, pages do not load instead of going direct.
  • “compatible” profile: no VPN, for sites that refuse VPN traffic.

The VPN needs a WireGuard configuration. Place your own wireproxy.conf (a standard WireGuard [Interface]/[Peer] config plus a SOCKS5 section) in the install folder. The public installer does not include any VPN keys.

[Interface]
PrivateKey = <your private key>
Address = 10.0.0.2/32
DNS = 1.1.1.1

[Peer]
PublicKey = <server public key>
Endpoint = <server>:51820
AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/0

[Socks5]
BindAddress = 127.0.0.1:25344

Never share your wireproxy.conf — it contains your private key.

Settings & tools

  • uBlock Origin is always on; telemetry is off.
  • Consent banners are rejected automatically.
  • Cookie cleanup runs when a site’s last tab closes or when the browser closes. Add sites to the keep list to stay signed in.
  • Tab unloading frees memory from idle tabs after the number of minutes you choose.
  • Containers keep sites separated; site rules can always open a site in compatible mode.
  • Command palette: Ctrl+K.
  • Reverse image search: Google Lens, Bing, Yandex and TinEye from the image context menu.
  • YouTube: hide Shorts, skip ads, speed buttons and a download bar. X: a video download button.

Media

Media is an offline library of your audio and video files. By default it reads your Downloads folder.

  • Play in the browser, or open a file in your system player.
  • Edit titles and thumbnails.
  • Upload files into the library.

The library index is stored in media.json in your data folder.

Images & Music

Images and Music are libraries for a single file type each, with a gallery view and a music player. They work fully offline.

Dictionary + Phrasebook

Translate text and look up words between Estonian, English and Russian using Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA). The Phrasebook keeps useful phrases, and History lists your recent lookups.

Books

Books shows a read-only Book Library from Documents\Book Library. PDFs open in the built-in pdf.js reader. Brouser never changes the files.

Ellujäämine

An offline Estonian emergency and survival guide with about 222 articles in categories such as emergency numbers, crisis and war, water, fire, food and first aid. The emergency number in Estonia is 112.

Veeallikad

A map and list of Estonian springs, wells and water points from OpenStreetMap (data dated 31 May 2026). Filter by type and search by name. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Raadio

Listen to Estonian stations such as Vikerraadio, Raadio 2, Klassikaraadio, Raadio 4, Raadio Tallinn, Kuku, Sky Plus, Star FM, Power Hit, Retro FM and Raadio Elmar. If the stream drops, Raadio reconnects automatically.

DIRECT X pairing

DIRECT X Nearby is a feed and chat with phones running the DIRECT X app, over Bluetooth — no internet required.

  • Install the DIRECT X app on the phone from directx.click.
  • Turn on Bluetooth on both the PC and the phone.
  • In Brouser open DIRECT X and choose “Pair a phone”.
  • Check that the code on both screens is the same, then confirm.

After pairing, devices reconnect automatically when they are in range.

Security model

  • Updates: allow-listed download addresses and SHA-256 verification of every package.
  • Public installers contain no VPN keys or personal data.
  • Custom apps run on a separate sandboxed origin.
  • VPN applies to browser traffic only; the secure profile never falls back to a direct connection.

DIRECT X Bluetooth link (lx1):

  • Key agreement with ECDH P-256; messages encrypted with AES-256-GCM and padded to hide their length.
  • Each device has an ECDSA P-256 identity and signs its hello message.
  • Trust on first use: the identity seen at first pairing is pinned, and a changed identity is rejected.
  • Rate limits protect against floods.
  • Logs record only message type and size, never content.

Data folders

  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Brouser — program files.
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Brouser — your data:
  • profiles — browser profiles (secure, compatible).
  • speeddial.json — speed dial tiles.
  • media.json — media library index.
  • launcher.log, update.log — logs.
  • bt-known.json, bt-identity.key, bt-pins.json — DIRECT X devices, this PC’s identity and pinned identities.

Treat bt-identity.key as private. Do not send it to anyone.

Uninstall

Open Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find Brouser and choose Uninstall. To remove your data too, delete %LOCALAPPDATA%\Brouser after uninstalling.

Troubleshooting

  • Pages do not load with the VPN on: check that wireproxy.conf is valid, or switch to the compatible profile.
  • Tray icon stays red: the tunnel is not connected — turn the VPN off and on, then check launcher.log.
  • An update does not appear: restart Brouser; updates apply on restart. See update.log.
  • Phone not found in DIRECT X: make sure Bluetooth is on and the DIRECT X app is open on the phone, then Scan again.
  • Radio stops: it reconnects by itself; if not, choose the station again.

When asking for help, do not share log files publicly without reading them first — they can contain device names.