NativeMind: The Browser Extension That Runs AI Completely On Your Device
Why You Need a Truly Private AI Assistant
When using AI tools in your browser, have you ever worried about:
-
Personal conversation data being uploaded to cloud servers? -
Sensitive document content being used for model training? -
Corporate confidential information leaking?
This is why NativeMind exists—a browser extension that processes all AI tasks entirely on your device. It solves the privacy concerns of cloud-based AI services, putting advanced AI capabilities directly in your hands.
🛡️ What Exactly Is NativeMind?
NativeMind is an open-source browser extension that enables fully local AI processing through two technologies:
-
Ollama Integration: Leverages locally installed large language models -
WebLLM Support: Runs lightweight models directly in your browser
All data processing happens on your device—it works even without internet (after initial model download)

✨ Core Features Explained
1. Intelligent Content Processing
Feature | How to Use | Real-World Use Case |
---|---|---|
Webpage Summarization | Click toolbar icon | Quickly digest long articles |
Document Analysis | Upload PDF/Word | Extract key contract clauses |
Bilingual Translation | Select text or full page | Read foreign language materials |
Writing Assistance | Right-click context menu | Polish emails/refine reports |
2. Seamless Workflow Integration
-
Multi-Tab Context: Analyze content across multiple pages simultaneously -
Floating Toolbar: Access AI functions anywhere with one click -
Keyboard Shortcuts: Ctrl+Shift+L for instant text translation -
Local History: Optional conversation history storage
🧩 Technical Architecture Revealed
Dual-Mode Operation
graph LR
A[User Request] --> B{Model Selection}
B -->|High Performance| C[Ollama Local Model]
B -->|Quick Demo| D[WebLLM Browser Model]
C --> E[CPU/GPU Acceleration]
D --> F[WebAssembly Runtime]
Performance Comparison
Metric | Ollama Mode | WebLLM Mode |
---|---|---|
Response Time | 0.5-2 seconds | 2-5 seconds |
Memory Usage | 4GB+ | 1-2GB |
Model Options | Gemma/Mistral/etc. | Preloaded Qwen3-0.6B |
Offline Support | ✅ | ✅ |
🛠️ 3-Step Installation Guide
Prerequisites
-
Chrome browser (latest version) -
8GB+ RAM device -
Minimum 5GB disk space
Installation Process
# Developer installation (optional)
git clone https://github.com/NativeMindBrowser/NativeMindExtension.git
cd NativeMindExtension
pnpm install
pnpm dev
Standard User Installation
-
Visit Chrome Web Store -
Search “NativeMind” -
Click “Add to Chrome”
First-time users: Start with WebLLM mode for instant access. Unlock full features later via the Ollama setup guide
🔍 Deep Dive: Critical Features
How Privacy Protection Works
-
Closed Data Loop: Input → Processing → Output occurs entirely in memory -
Zero Network Transmission: All external API calls disabled -
No User Tracking: Usage behavior never collected -
Encrypted Local Storage: AES-256 encryption for history
Why Choose Ollama?
-
Latest Models: Deepseek/Qwen/Llama support -
Hardware Acceleration: Full GPU utilization -
Model Swapping: Load different capability models on demand -
Local Server: 127.0.0.1:11434 closed-loop communication
Writing Assistance in Action
Original Text:
"This product works well and everyone likes it"
AI Optimization:
1. Specify subject → "Users widely praise this product's experience"
2. Add specifics → "Data shows 78% user retention rate"
3. Professional tone → "Ergonomic design enhances operational efficiency"
⚠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
Models Not Loading?
-
Ollama Issues: -
Verify ollama serve
running in terminal -
Confirm port 11434
availability
-
-
WebLLM Issues: -
Close memory-intensive tabs -
Update browser to latest version
-
Features Not Working on Certain Sites?
Possible reasons:
-
Site restricts content scripts (e.g., banking pages) -
Canvas-rendered text content -
Browser privacy sandbox limitations
Solution: Try saving page as HTML first
🔮 The Future of Local AI
Performance Breakthroughs
-
Qwen3-4B: Outperforms 72B cloud models with just 4B parameters -
Phi-4: Beats Gemini Pro 1.5 in mathematical reasoning -
Gemma3-4B: Image recognition rivals 27B-scale models
Technology Roadmap
-
Model Miniaturization: Maintain capability under 1B parameters -
Hardware Acceleration: Full WebGPU integration -
Cross-Device Synergy: Phone-computer joint computation -
Personalization: Local incremental training
📌 Developer Guide
Tech Stack
| Component | Technology |
|-----------|------------|
| Frontend | Vue3 + TypeScript |
| Build | WXT + Vite |
| Styling | TailwindCSS |
| AI Integration | WebLLM + Ollama API |
Contribution Process
-
Fork the repository -
Create feature branch -
Submit code changes -
Initiate Pull Request
git checkout -b feature/your-idea
git commit -m 'Implement XX feature'
git push origin feature/your-idea
❓ Top 10 User Questions Answered
1. Is this free?
Completely free and open-source (AGPLv3 license)
2. Which browsers are supported?
Officially supports Chrome; Edge version in development
3. Mobile compatible?
Not yet—local models require desktop-level resources
4. Chinese language support?
Excellent support; use Qwen or Deepseek Chinese models
5. Will it slow down my computer?
WebLLM has minimal impact; Ollama recommends 16GB RAM
6. How to update models?
Ollama users: Run
ollama pull model-name
in terminal
7. Image analysis capability?
Current version text-only; image recognition on roadmap
8. Can I export my data?
All history exportable as JSON
9. Enterprise deployment options?
Supports self-hosted deployment with custom model servers
10. Where to get support?
Discord community: https://discord.gg/b8p54DKhha
Important Note: NativeMind isn’t magic. Its capabilities depend on local hardware. For complex tasks:
Use Ollama with 7B+ parameter models Ensure proper device cooling Break tasks into smaller steps
pie
title User Value Distribution
"Privacy Protection" : 38
"No Internet Dependency" : 25
"Customization" : 20
"Zero Cost" : 17