Script Just The Browser: Clean your browser of AI, telemetry, and embedded advertising

If you are Tired of your browser being filled with AI, banners, promotions, and features you didn't ask for?You're not alone. Every update to Chrome, Edge, or Firefox seems to bring more "extras" that don't really add anything to daily browsing, but do increase resource consumption and send more data flying to the servers of Big Tech.

For those who want A fast, clean browser free of commercial distractions and AI assistantsA very interesting solution has emerged: the Just The Browser project. It consists of a set of scripts and configuration files that leverage enterprise browser policies to disable almost everything unnecessary, leaving you, literally, with "just the browser."

What exactly is Just The Browser and what problem does it solve?

Just The Browser is an open-source project designed for users who want to reduce their browser to the bare essentials.Tabs, address bar, web pages, and little else. Its creator, Corbin Davenport, has packaged a series of configurations for Chrome. Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox, which disable AI features, telemetry, sponsored content, and other commercial integrations.

Instead of install a little-known alternative browserThe idea is Take advantage of the most popular browsers, but with their more restrictive "corporate" settingsThe same controls that companies use to prevent their employees from touching certain options or to limit the sending of data are used here to create a much more private and lightweight experience for any home user.

The whole project is It is open source and hosted on GitHub, where the scripts and applied policies can be viewed.In addition to the configuration files, step-by-step guides are included for performing manual installation on each browser and operating system, as well as scripts that automate the process on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The ultimate goal is very clear: to eliminate the feeling that the browser is an advertising platform or a showcase for the company's own servicesand return it to its original role as a simple gateway to the web.

Features it disables: goodbye AI, commercial tracking and various "trinkets"

One of Just The Browser's great strengths is that It doesn't just touch one or two options, but performs a fairly deep clean. of anything that smacks of unnecessary extras. Among the types of features that are deactivated, several very clear categories stand out.

First, they are disabled most of the functions of Artificial Intelligence integrated into the browserWe talked about things like Copilot In Microsoft Edge, the AI-powered tab grouping experiments in Firefox, and the generative assistants associated with the address bar and Chrome interface are also included. The only major exception noted in the project is page translation in Firefox, which is retained as it is considered a genuinely useful feature.

They are also blocked or hidden functions related to purchases and offersPrice tracking, coupon suggestions, consumer loan integrations, and all those kinds of features transform the search or browsing experience into a permanent shopping catalog. This is especially noticeable in Edge and Chrome, where the "shopping" component is becoming increasingly important.

Another important part of the cleaning involves Remove sponsored content, article recommendations, and website suggestions from the new tab pageIn Firefox, for example, sponsored Pocket stories and advertising tiles are disabled; in Chromium browsers, commercial or partner suggestions that appear on the home page are trimmed.

In terms of user experience, Just The Browser also attacks Everything related to heavy notifications and welcome flows: insistent reminders to set the browser as default, first launch screens that invite you to import data and bookmarks, or messages that push you to try new “smart” features.

Finally, there is a very clear focus on the telemetry reduction and the sending of usage data. In Chrome, policies such as MetricsReportingEnabled or UrlKeyedAnonymizedDataCollectionEnabled are enabled at the corporate level, in Edge different metrics are restricted, and in Firefox most collection mechanisms are disabled, including remote studies (Normandy) and experiments, leaving only bug reporting active when offered as a separate option.

How it works on the inside: business policies and managed configurations

The key to Just The Browser is that It does not patch executable files or modify browser codeInstead, it uses the managed policy system that GoogleMicrosoft and Mozilla make available to system administrators and companies the tools to control browser behavior on corporate networks.

In Chromium-based browsers, such as Chrome or Edge, these policies are enforced through registry keys in Windows or JSON files in specific paths in macOS and LinuxIn the case of Firefox, the tool uses a policies.json file that is placed in the browser's distribution directory to define how it should behave.

This approach has several advantages. For one thing, The applied configurations are "official" and are supported by the manufacturers themselves.This reduces the risk of unstable behavior or crashes. Furthermore, these settings are quite persistent, usually remaining even after a browser update, as long as the policies are not renamed or removed.

The “price” of this method is that The browser detects that it is being managed through policiesThis causes the familiar message "Your browser is being managed by your organization" or something similar to appear, especially visible in Edge and Firefox. It doesn't mean someone is controlling your computer; it simply means that a set of policies is in place, as if your computer were part of a company's system.

If you want to check for yourself what has been applied, the browsers themselves offer internal pages to consult active policiesIn Chrome and Edge, you can open chrome://policy or edge://policy, while in Firefox the equivalent is about:policies. These list all current settings, both user-defined and managed.

Installation on Windows, macOS, and Linux: scripts and manual guides

To make life easier for the average user, the project includes operating system-specific installation scriptsIn addition to documentation for those who prefer to do everything by hand or carefully review what will be applied before executing it.

In Windows, the recommended procedure is open a console of PowerShell with administrator privilegesThis can be done from the Start button's context menu by choosing "Terminal (Admin)" or "PowerShell (Admin)." From there, simply paste a single command that downloads and runs the script The main one hosted on GitHub, responsible for applying the appropriate policies for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

On macOS and Linux the approach is similar, but the terminal of the system. In these cases, A command is executed that invokes curl and bash to download and launch the main scriptOn macOS, the result is the installation of a configuration profile that can be viewed and approved from System Settings, within the General > Device Management section, where it is clearly listed which browser is being managed.

In Linux, things are a bit more manual depending on the distribution, since There is no unified profile system like in macOSIn general, the steps involve downloading the policy files in JSON format and copying them to the specific paths used by the Chromium and Firefox builds in the corresponding distribution, for example /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed in Chrome.

Those who prefer absolute control can ignore the automated scripts and continue. Step-by-step guides for each browserThese guides, available in the project's official documentation, explain what each option does, where to place the files, and how to modify policies if you want to keep certain features active or add additional restrictions.

What changes in each browser after applying Just The Browser

Although the general philosophy is the same, The specific impact varies depending on the browser and operating system.Tests conducted by various users and media outlets provide a fairly clear picture of what you can expect.

In Microsoft Edge, the most noticeable change is that Copilot and a good part of the side panel disappearas well as the aggressive shopping, coupon, and recommendation integrations on the new tab page. However, some users have noted that, at least on macOS, an AI search box may still appear on the new tab page even after "Copilot mode" is disabled.

En Google Chrome the effects are especially noticeable on the experimental functions and AI modules integrated into the address bar and in the interfaceAI mode in the omnibox, automatic tab organizers, generative themes, and other embellishments disappear or are disabled by policy. At the telemetry level, many corporate metrics channels are cut off, although some options visible in the settings menu, such as "Improve search and navigation" or "Improve search suggestions," may remain active if they are not directly governed by the applied policies.

Firefox, for its part, is perhaps the one that more is transformed in terms of interfaceOnce the policies.json file is applied, Pocket story blocks disappear from the new tab page, sponsored tiles are removed, and remote studies and experiments that Mozilla dynamically downloads to test features in the background are disabled. Certain URL suggestion behaviors are also restricted, and several telemetry parameters are adjusted. If you notice any issues with sessions or information, there is a guide available for troubleshooting. Recover lost sessions and data in Firefox.

In all cases, the general feeling described by those who have tried the tool is that a much quieter browser, with fewer internal notifications and no constant nudges towards “smart” featuresNavigation becomes more direct and, on modest equipment, a slight performance improvement is even noticeable by reducing active services.

Advantages over changing browsers or manually disabling everything

A reasonable question is whether it wouldn't be simpler. directly install an alternative browser focused on privacy, such as some Firefox forks or security-focused Chromium builds. It's a valid option, but it has certain drawbacks that Just The Browser tries to avoid.

On one hand, Derivative browsers are not always available on all platformsAnd sometimes they lag behind in security patches, rendering engine, or compatibility with new web APIs. For those who depend on a stable and widely supported environment, sticking with the "official" Chrome, Edge, or Firefox, but properly configured, might be more sensible; alternatives such as Vivaldi They are another option if you prefer to change browsers.

On the other hand, there is always the option of manually disable many of these features from the settings or flags pages (edge://flags, chrome://flags, about:config, etc.). The problem is that this task is very tedious, requires knowing what each setting is affecting, and is not always stable. ThereWith each update, new flags may be added, names may be changed, or certain features may simply reappear.

Just The Browser's approach focuses all that effort on a single point: You apply a set of curated and maintained policies, and you forget about chasing experimental flags.When there are significant changes in browsers, the GitHub repository itself is updated, and you simply need to rerun the script or adapt the policy files to the new version.

All of this is complemented by the possibility of Subscribe to an RSS/Atom feed of project releasesThis way, any relevant changes to configurations, scripts, or documentation will automatically be sent to your favorite RSS reader, whether it's Feedly, Inoreader, The Old Reader, Feedbin, or a similar service. Those who use GitHub daily can simply monitor the repository by selecting "Watch > New releases."

Revert changes and customize policies to your liking.

Another important aspect is that You're not stuck forever with the settings applied by Just The BrowserBoth the scripts and the guides explain how to undo the changes and restore the browser's standard behavior.

On macOS, for example, it's enough to Delete the configuration profile from System SettingsOnce deleted, the policies cease to apply, and the browser reverts to its default settings after restarting. On Windows, you can use the built-in script, which usually includes uninstallation options, or manually delete the registry keys related to Chrome, Edge, and Firefox policies.

In Firefox, reverting is as simple as delete the policies.json file from the distribution directory or rename it, and then restart the browser. On Linux, the process is similar: remove the policy JSON files from the system paths, close the browsers, and everything returns to normal.

Those with a certain technical level can go a step further and Edit the policy files before installing themThis allows you to retain some features you find useful (such as a certain level of anti-phishing protection or safe browsing mechanisms) while disabling everything related to AI or invasive usage metrics. Manufacturers publish policy catalogs detailing what each key does, leaving ample room for fine-tuning.

As with any script that changes system settings, it is highly recommended Review the code and files downloaded from GitHub Before running them, especially if you're going to run them with administrator privileges. This is the same caution advised for any automation or system hardening tool.

Current limitations: mobile, extensions, and other use cases

Although Just The Browser covers it well the main desktop browsersThere are some areas where it hasn't yet reached or where its usefulness is more limited, and it's important to be aware of this to avoid getting your hopes up.

For example, the project It does not currently offer support for mobile browsers en Android or iOS/iPadOS. There are open issues in the repository to explore these possibilities, but currently there is no widespread solution comparable to the desktop version. On mobile, policy management by Google and Apple is more closed and heavily dependent on the enterprise device management ecosystem.

Not all Chromium-based browsers on the market are covered either; The policies are primarily designed for Google Chrome and Microsoft EdgeHowever, compatibility with certain Chromium builds is mentioned for Linux. Regarding Edge on Linux, it is currently explicitly stated that it is not supported in this project.

Another topic that often comes up is that of Ad blockers and privacy extensionsJust The Browser does not automatically install any ad blockers, nor does it intend to replace their function. If you want to block traditional ads, you will still need extensions like uBlock Origin or uBlock Origin Lite—and if you need to manage or remove an extension, see how. Remove a Microsoft Edge add-on—, which complement the browser's own AI and telemetry trimming approach very well.

Finally, there are advanced users who are looking for a deeper integration of custom scripts directly onto the browser windowFor example, to automate page reloads at specific times or to open specific elements, such as chats on online learning platforms. In these cases, solutions like Selenium, Playwright, or specific extensions are still necessary, since Just The Browser focuses on global configuration policies and not on site-specific automation scripts.

Overall, for those who feel overwhelmed by the avalanche of AI, telemetry, and commercial layers in their browsers, This project offers a fast, reversible, and fairly transparent way to recover a sober, focused, and less noisy browser., taking advantage of precisely the same tools that companies use to keep in check the functions that hinder more than help.