Google Chrome sucks for privacy.
UnGoogled Chromium is actually a Chromium spin-off that offers you all of Chromium 's capabilities but removes integration with Google services, thus providing you with a browser that is highly. Open this page and download the Ungoogled Chromium build for your Mac. It offers the latest DMG build for both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Next, run the DMG file and Ungoogled Chromium will be added to the Application Directory. Now, open the browser, and there you have it. Ungoogled Chromium works perfectly fine on macOS as well. Ungoogled-chromium can conflict with Chromium, if it is installed, so you should first uninstall it. To do this, open a terminal and run in it: sudo apt-get autoremove -purge chromium. The project is in the openSUSE repositories, to install it from there, you would have to perform a series of instructions: In principle add the repository to. Chromium is free and open-source software developed by the Google-sponsored Chromium project.The source code can be compiled into a web browser.New versions of the code are published daily. Google uses the code to make its Chrome browser, which has more features than Chromium. Many other browsers are also based on Chromium code, most notably Microsoft Edge and Opera.
So, with that said, I'm here to show you how to download, install, and tweak the Ungoogled Chromium browser.
Now, installing and configuring Ungoogled Chromium isn't the most user-friendly experience for your average user, but it isn't too complicated.
Keep in mind that while we primarily focus on Windows machines in this guide, macOS and Linux users can also easily follow along - especially for the configuration portion!
What is Ungoogled Chromium?
In order to understand Ungoogled Chromium, you first need to understand what Chromium is.
In short, Chromium is the open-source engine and framework that Google Chrome is derived from.
This does not necessarily mean that Chromium is Google Chrome.
This also does not at all mean that Chromium, as it is, is a private alternative to Google Chrome.
This gap is exactly where Ungoogled Chromium steps in.
Ungoogled Chromium is what its name implies; it is Chromium stripped of its dependencies on Google web services such as 'Safe Browsing' and Google Location Service.
This improves your online privacy because it totally eliminates the 'phoning home' to Google servers - something that even regular Chromium does.
For example, 'Safe Browsing' sends data of the sites you visit to Google to ensure that these sites are 'safe.' This feature sounds good, but if you follow your standard internet safety checklists, you'll be pretty good at avoiding obviously 'unsafe' sites.
The privacy issue with a 'Safe Browsing' web search is that Google you're feeding the G machine free information. You can bet that they are recording what sites you visit, when you visit them, how often you visit them, and etc.
Ungoogled Chromium also removes the Google (and other Big Data/Big Tech) defaults.
For example, regular Chromium sets your browser's default search engine to Google. Ungoogled Chromium's default is its 'No Search' feature.
Ungoogled Chromium is available for Android. However, we will only be focusing on the desktop version here.
Forewarning
While Ungoogled Chromium is a solid Chromium-based browser for privacy, you should be aware that it is not without its faults.
Some of its faults might compromise user-experience:
- Maintained by a small group of developers
- Patches come out slower than for standard Chromium (NOTE: Despite this, the developers are very good at being speedy in applying released security updates to the source code)
- Binaries are created by volunteers. (This is also a warning that can be found on Ungoogled Chromium's GitHub download page.)
Downloading the browser
Downloading and installing Ungoogled Chromium requires a couple more steps than just clicking 'download now,' on the browser's website.
This is mostly because Ungoogled Chromium does not have its own dedicated website. Rather, the download files (alongside Ungoogled Chromium's source code) are hosted on a GitHub repository:
Ungoogled Chromium Extensions
The above link will take you to the repo's downloads page. There is a warning you should heed.
Per the warning, you should be aware that volunteers package the binaries for installation.
(In other words, the packaged binaries (executables/installers) may not be assembled by the developer(s) themselves. This leaves some room for error.)
After you've read the warning and accepted the risk, choose the appropriate operating system you're on.
And don't guess. Downloading the wrong file won't do you any good.
The most up-to-date version of Ungoogled Chromium for your operating system tends to be at the top of the list.
Verifying the file
This portion is not mandatory, but I highly suggest completing it just for some peace of mind.
Ungoogled Chromium Linux
Since the binaries (installers) are packaged by volunteers, and not necessarily the developer(s) directly, it's a good idea to verify the file that we're downloading.
Proper verification gives us confidence that the file we downloaded is safe(ish) to install. At the very least, even if it isn't safe to install, verifying the file we downloaded lets us know whether we got the same copy found on the server or not.
Windows
For Windows, I am using a nifty little freeware tool called Checksum Calculator (external link).
- Open Checksum Calculator
- Click Browse
- Select the file (either the
.exeor ZIP file; I downloaded the ZIP file for this example). - Select MD5 (or SHA1; I selected MD5 for this example)
- Click Calculate
- A random string of numbers and letters should populate in the field next to the Copy button
- Copy the MD5 (or SHA1) hash from the appropriate download page:
- Paste the copied hash into the Compare field
- Click Verify
- If all goes well you should get a pop-up saying so:
Linux
Verifying the checksum is far easier on Linux (any distro).
Your Terminal commands are:
md5sumfor the MD5 hashsha512sumfor the SHA 512 hash
For example, your resulting terminal command for checking the MD5 hash should look similar to: md5sum filename.zip
It should give you the hash of the file you downloaded. Compare this to the hash found in the appropriate download directory; they should match 100%.
Note: This process is mostly the same on macOS.
Installing
Now that we downloaded the correct binary for our system and (hopefully) verified its integrity, we're ready to install.
Windows
When you download the .exe file, there's not much for you to do:
- Double click on the
.exefile. - You might get a security warning. If so, click Run
- In the dialogue box, click Install.
- After installation is complete, a new window for Chromium should appear
Advanced users can build their own Ungoogled Chromium package by using the dedicated Windows repo.
Linux
Linux users have a couple of different ways to install Ungoogled Chromium.
Linux users (depending on the distro) can use the source to build their own Ungoogled Chromium package here.
Alternatively, Linux users can also make use of the volunteer binaries for their particular distro.
When using the binaries, if your distro doesn't have a graphical interface to handle the installation for you, then you can always use the terminal to install everything.
Be aware that if your distro is not supported, then your Ungoogled Chromium can break unexpectedly!
Configuring for optimal privacy (+functionality)
Custom search engines
By default, Ungoogle Chromium enables its 'No Search' feature.
This disables searching the web (via a 'default search engine') by just typing your query into the address bar.
While this is certainly a solid feature for increased privacy, some users might want search using a private search engine from their address bars.
Fortunately, Ungoogled Chromium comes with some choices for private search engines. Namely Searx and DuckDuckGo.
You can add your own search engine too. If you need suggestions for private search engines, visit our Search Engines page.
In this example, I'll be adding the MetaGer search engine to the list.
- In the address bar, type
chrome://settings/searchEngines - Under Other search engines, click Add
- Fill in the overlay fields accordingly (in most cases, you can skip the last one)
- Your added search engine should appear under Other search engines
TIP: The easiest way to get the URL for the query string is directly visiting your search engine's website, and then making a query like 'oranges.' Copy the URL, with %s in place of whatever word you searched.
Cookies
Ungoogled Chromium blocks all 3rd party cookies by default.
However, some more privacy-conscious users may wish to block all cookies, which would include 1st party cookies.
Blocking all cookies severely limits what data websites and some web apps can store on your computer.
You should be aware that blocking all cookies may break some sites you visit!
JavaScript
Some really privacy-conscious users might choose to disable JavaScript on all websites by default.
This can be done from within Ungoogled Chromium's settings.
Additionally, you can also choose to whitelist certain sites. When you whitelist a site you are giving clearance for these site(s) to execute JavaScript on your device, so be sure that it is trustworthy!
Advanced Settings
There are some advanced - and 'experimental' - settings to tweak before you get going with Ungoogled Chromium.
- Type
chrome://flags/into the address bar. - Find and adjust these settings accordingly:
- Set Anonymize local IPs exposed by WebRTC to enabled (helps keep WebRTC from leaking your private IP address everywhere)
- Set Disable search engine collection to enabled
- IF JAVASCRIPT IS ENABLED: Set getClientRects() fingerprint deception to enabled (this makes fingerprinting your system/browser harder)
- IF JAVASCRIPT IS ENABLED: Set Canvas::measureText() fingerprint deception to enabled
- IF JAVASCRIPT IS ENABLED: Set Canvas image data fingerprint deception to enabled
- Make sure to re-launch the browser for these changes to take effect
Extensions
Ungoogled Chromium can handle many extensions found in the Chrome Web Store.
You must be signed into your Google Account in order to download extensions from the Chrome Web Store. You may want to consider installing these extensions manually.
Learn how to install extensions manually here
While Ungoogled Chromium does wonders for your privacy because it stops the phoning home to Google servers, it doesn't do a ton for your privacy while browsing the net.
What I really mean is that it doesn't have the likes of a built-in ad or tracker blocker.
Thankfully, you can install privacy extensions that provide tracker blocking to bolster your privacy when using the browser.
This is the optimal privacy extension set-up that I recommend for average users.
This set-up aims to:
- Maintain your privacy from fingerprinting and trackers found on websites and web apps
- Keep Ungoogled Chromium stable for regular browsing (too many extensions can cause unexpected errors)
- Minimize the amount of information collected about you
- Be user-friendly in set up for the average user
Ungoogled Chromium recommended extensions
| Name | Description | Download | Repo |
|---|---|---|---|
| uBlock Origin | uBlock Origin is a wide-spectrum blocker that blocks ads and trackers while being light on system resources. | ||
| LocalCDN | LocalCDN intercepts middlemen connections from Content Deliver Networks (CDNs) and serves them locally to help preserve your privacy. | ||
| HTTPS Everywhere | Automatically forces all websites to load their secure (HTTPS) versions. Created by the EFF and the Tor Project. |
Updating
The biggest downside to Ungoogled Chromium is that updates for it have to be installed manually.
This means that Ungoogled Chromium won't check for any updated versions of itself automatically.
You'll have to stay on top of newer versions, which frequently contain various security and exploit fixes, yourself.
Ultimately, this pretty much means uninstalling the old version and installing the updated version of the browser itself for most users.
(If you choose to compile your own personal binary from the source repository, you will have to recompile everything again.)
Additionally, you should be aware that Ungoogled Chromium's de-googling goes as far as breaking automatic updates for extensions.
Remember, Ungoogled Chromium does not talk to Google's servers, so automatic updates (or auto notifications of updates) are not possible. You can think of this as collateral. (This is why I suggest installing your extensions by hand, because you'll be updating them by hand anyway.)
Note: There are rumblings of an official packaging server (from the developer) in the works. There is no timeline as of yet, but this would definitely remedy the manual updating problem.
Final thoughts
Ungoogled Chromium is a great privacy-focused Chromium based browser.
It is fast, stripped of Google's proprietary coding that can intrude on your privacy, and compatible with many Chrome Extensions.
However, where it shines in its de-google-ing and user privacy-first initiative sometimes means it isn't as 'user friendly' as other Chromium browsers.
Hopefully this guide helps you with the installing and tweaking process of Ungoogled Chromium.
If you love the Google Chrome browser, but you have nagging doubts about how much data Google is able to collect from you while you're online, then you might be interested in a new web browser that has (almost) everything you like about Chrome, but doesn't phone home to the mothership. Read on to learn about Ungoogled-Chromium... |
What is Ungoogled-Chromium?
Google’s Chrome has won the browser war. According to NetMarketShare, Chrome began to run away from its nearest rival, Internet Explorer, in January, 2016, and has held a steady, wide lead since May. Today, Chrome has about 54% of the browser market while second-place IE has just over 19%. Firefox is below 10%, and all the others barely register a blip on the radar.
A big reason for Chrome’s popularity is the huge ecosystem of Google-branded services: Google Mail, Docs, News, Drive, and so on. While they will work with other browsers, they work best with Chrome. Also, they’re all free, at least in basic versions.
But “free” comes with a price: your browsing history and other data about your location, devices you use, contacts, the types of files you keep, and much more. See my article, What Does Google Know About You? This data is used to target advertising more effectively. Some users are not comfortable with that. One user on Github, the open-source software depository, is doing something about it.
Github user “Eloston” has taken Chromium, the open-source version of Chrome, and modified it to strip out or disable background services that communicate directly with Google. These services range from little things, like automatic URL formatting in Chrome’s Omnibox, to big things like disabling Javascript dialogue boxes. A full statement of Eloston’s mission can be found on his Github project page.
If you want to try Ungoogled-Chromium, head over to its release page and scroll down to find the latest version for your operating system. Download the .zip file and extract all of its files to a folder of your choice. Then click on the file chromium.exe to start the browser. (You can make a shortcut for chromium.exe and place it where you wish.)
I tested ungoogle-chromium on a few of the more complex Web sites I visit. Nothing broke, and everything seems to load just as fast as it does in Chrome. But there are some changes to the Chrome experience.
Should You Switch to Ungoogled-Chromium?
I find that I cannot add extensions to Ungoogled-Chromium. Attempts to access the Chrome Web Store from the extensions page in the browser are blocked. Navigating to the store via a search in the Omnibox is possible, but no extensions found in the store can be installed. Instead of the green “Add to Chrome” button, I get a blue “Available in Chrome” button when using Ungoogled-Chromium. Clicking on that opens a tab in which a Google Chromebook ad is displayed.
Incidentally, Ungoogled-Chromium comes with three extensions installed: Bookmarks Manager, Chrome PDF Viewer, and CryptoTokenExtension. All of them were added by the author and are necessary.
The default search engine is Duck Duck Go, doubtless chosen because it does not save users’ search histories as Chrome does. But the default search engine can be changed to whatever you wish in Settings. My browsing history is still available to me via the Settings page. It’s just not shared with Google.
One big problem I see with Ungoogled-Chromium is that it appears to be an experimental project created by a student, for use by himself and friends. As such, it has no support, and lacks the automatic update feature found in Google Chrome.
Overall, Ungoogled-Chromium is a mixed bag of pros and cons. The lack of extensions makes it unacceptable for my daily browsing; your needs may vary. I also would find it cumbersome to check for and manually download new versions (if and when) they are available. There's no guarantee that the project will continue.
All of the mail, documents, and other files that I save on Google Drive will still get indexed by Google and contribute to my targeted-advertising dossier. For that matter, it doesn't bother me that Google may use my web browsing history to more accurately target the ads I see. Google's privacy policy says that they use this information only in aggregated form, and no personally-identifying information is shared with third parties.
Call me gullible, but I believe them. It would be terribly bad news for Google if they were found to be violating this policy, and in all the years I've been using Google products, I've never seen any evidence that they have. Does Ungoogled-Chromium sound like something you would use for your daily browsing? Your thoughts on this topic are welcome. Post your comment or question below...
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This article was posted by on 28 Oct 2016
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Most recent comments on 'Google Chrome, Ungoogled?'
(See all 21 comments for this article.)Posted by: | Take a look a a Chrome clone browser called Iron Browser. It does all the stuff above plus all extensions and such from The Store are available. It does also load and browse faster than Chrome. |
Posted by: | So, you put your faith in Google to protect you? Sort of like trusting the fox to guard the hens or believing the line, 'We are from the government and are here to help'. Do you really think Google would, or has not, given your info over to governmental entities? If so, I have some land in NJ that you may want to buy. |
Posted by: | Getting big business and government out of the things that I do is always worth exploring. |
Posted by: | It's probably too late. I'm sure that anyone who might care, including our illustrious gubmint, already knows my feelings about hussein and hellery (and the evil triumvirate that would be the billary-hussein admin if it's elected). There, I said it again, and it was probably recorded again for posterity sake. Oh, well. We do thank you, Bob for all the great words of wisdom and information you give all of U.S.! As long as the PTB (Powers That Be) allow it, you will be an anxiously looked forward to part of our days!! |
Posted by: | Internet Explorer puked because of Microsoft Edge. It's very invasive thanks to Cortana. I find it difficult to get around in. I have 'always' used IE since the days of Netscape, but now I use Google and go straight to Yahoo when I play on the 'puter. |
Posted by: | '...appears to be an experimental project created by a student, for use by himself and friends.' So basically it's light years from becoming a stable, safe and reliable piece of software. |
Posted by: | I have used Chromium along with Firefox for many years on my desktop (after an article in PCMag and also recommended by CNET} (I hated IE) I have had no problems. Was just beginning to place on my new laptop. |
Posted by: | I have used FF for years, but the thrill is gone. However, the antipathy towards IE remains strong. Chrome, at least on my old computer running Win10Home, is an incredible resource hog. But, Hey! It takes a LOOONG time to load. I look forward to trying this one, or maybe the Avenger model. Or tune in to Opera. Thanx to all! |
Ungoogled Chromium Windows
Posted by: | Chromium is fast! Have only spent 30 minutes with it but it looks good and works well. I had to import my Chrome bookmarks into Safari and then into Chromium since I could not find a way to export them rom Chrome to a file to be imported into Chromium. Now that I have that done I can go to all my favourite sites and put Chromium to the test. |
Posted by: | I have used Epic Privacy Browser, also based on chromium for some time and love it! Importing my favorites from IE was simple. Epic strips all ads and trackers from any page I visit automatically. It is supported and updated regularly and best of all it is FREE! So if you want to experiment,give it a try. |
Posted by: |
Posted by: | Another alternative based on Chromium is the Slimjet browser. Many additional features and options have been added in Slimjet to make it more powerful, intelligent and customizable than Chrome. In addition to that, Slimjet DOES NOT send any usage statistics back to Google's server like Google Chrome. |
Posted by: | Hi Bob: Have you tried Opera as an alternative to Google’s Chrome? I started using it recently and really like it. Apparently the 'new Opera for computers' is partly based on code from the Chromium open-source browser project! I was not aware that Chrome had an open-source flavor until now and that Opera was involved with it. Perhaps you might devote a future article to this, since many of us are looking to avoid Google's invasive internet behavior! |
Posted by: | Speaking of no-plug-ins, I've been using Brave as my default browser for the last couple of months. It's based on Electron - which is based on Chromium. |
Posted by: | For those of us using outdated systems, and not having the funds to shell out for new systems.... Opera version 36.0.2130.80 is still supporting Vista and XP. (unlike Google!) You can still use their older browser which is still better than any Chrome browser for downloading stuff and not losing partial downloads. (resume download is excellent in Opera Version 12.18) I run both Opera versions side by side. |
Posted by: | Thanks Bob. Dislike Chrome here. Only found it useful to access Play store games and apps. Just ditched it several times. Opera. Now that is a behaved browser. Use it to stream and download. Always disliked IE. And Firefox may soon head for the trashcan with me. 3 updates ago it set all options to default. Like a fool I hadn't saved my speed dial addresses. And FF's defaults set it to auto-update which trashes all my settings 3 updates later. Either I search for a solution or trash FF if it continues to do this. Emailed FF support twice, got no answer. Also had made a small donation in the past to help continuing development. Not going to happen again. FF is not playing nice. |
Posted by: | Have used both IE and FF for many years with no issues. I also use FF and Opera on some of my olde r workhorse XP machines. No complaints (ymmv) |
Posted by: | Surprised no mention of Vivaldi here, not even in comments. Cross between Opera and Chromium. Love it! |
Posted by: | Testing browsers is a bit of a compulsion of mine. Iron Browser is the best of the Chrome style browsers: fast, secure, allows addons. Just add uBlock Origin and visit ad filled streaming sites with minimal popups. Add WEB RTC and use CyberGhost free VPN. Thats all you need. Fast and anonymous for free!!! |
Posted by: | You can manually install extensions.. just takes a little research. Running ublock origin on ungoggled chromium right now. No problems |
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