Web – macOS AI Browser: A Minimalist Browsing Experience Powered by Local AI

Hey there! Have you ever wished for a browser that’s simple, fast, and smart—all while keeping your data private? Let me introduce you to Web, a macOS browser that’s built from the ground up with SwiftUI and packed with local AI features. It’s still in its early stages, but it’s already showing off some cool tricks. In this article, I’ll walk you through what Web is, how it works, and why it might just be the browser you didn’t know you needed.

What’s Web All About?

Imagine a browser that strips away the clutter and focuses on what matters: browsing the web quickly and intelligently. That’s Web in a nutshell. Designed specifically for macOS, it uses SwiftUI (Apple’s modern UI framework) to deliver a clean, lightweight experience. But here’s the kicker—it’s not just a basic browser. Web comes with built-in AI that runs right on your Mac, no internet required. Whether you’re flipping through tabs or analyzing a webpage, Web aims to make your life easier without sending your data anywhere.

So, why would you pick Web over, say, Safari or Chrome? Here’s what sets it apart:

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    Local AI Power: The AI runs on your device, so your browsing habits stay private.
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    Super Simple Design: No overwhelming menus or toolbars—just a clean interface.
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    Smooth Performance: Thanks to SwiftUI and WebKit, it feels snappy and responsive.
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    Privacy First: Features like incognito mode and ad blocking keep you in control.

What Can Web Do? Breaking Down the Features

Let’s dive into what Web brings to the table. It’s got three main areas: browsing, privacy, and AI. Here’s the scoop on each.

1. Browsing the Web Like a Pro

At its core, Web is all about getting you to your favorite sites smoothly. It uses Apple’s WebKit engine—the same tech behind Safari—so pages load fast and look just right. Here’s what you’ll find:

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    Tabs That Work Smarter: Open multiple tabs, and Web puts unused ones to “sleep” to save resources. Switch between them with ease.
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    Keyboard-Friendly: Love shortcuts? Try ⌘T for a new tab, ⌘W to close one, or ⌘R to refresh. It’s all about speed.
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    Downloads Made Easy: A built-in manager tracks your files as they download (though it’s still being tested, so expect some polish soon).

2. Keeping Your Privacy and Security Tight

Nobody likes being tracked online, right? Web’s got your back with tools to keep things private and safe:

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    Incognito Mode: Flip this on, and Web forgets everything you did once you’re done.
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    Ad Blocking: Say goodbye to annoying pop-ups (it’s built-in, but we’re still checking if you can turn it off).
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    Password Handling: Store your logins securely (still in testing, but it’s there).
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    Custom Privacy Options: Fine-tune how much protection you want (also in testing).

3. AI That Lives on Your Mac

Here’s where Web gets really interesting. It’s not just a browser—it’s a smart assistant, too. Using Apple’s MLX framework and some clever Swift code, Web runs AI models locally on your Mac. No cloud, no data leaks. Here’s what it can do:

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    Smart Sidebar: The AI can read the page you’re on and give you a quick summary (TL;DR) or extra context based on your history. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but fun to play with.
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    Privacy Guaranteed: Since everything happens on your device, nothing leaves your Mac.
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    Apple Silicon Ready: Built for M1 and M2 chips, it’s optimized to run fast and efficient.

What Do You Need to Run Web?

Before you get too excited, let’s make sure your setup is ready. Here’s what Web asks for:

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    Operating System: macOS 14.0 or later.
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    Hardware: An Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, etc.) if you want the AI features.
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    For Developers: Xcode 15.0 or higher if you’re building it yourself.

No Apple Silicon? You can still use Web’s basic browsing features on an Intel Mac, but the AI won’t kick in. Fair warning—it’s experimental, so it’s not perfect yet!

How Do I Get Web on My Mac?

Since Web is in “early access” mode, there’s no App Store download yet. You’ll need to build it from the source code. Don’t worry—it’s straightforward if you’ve got a few minutes. Here’s how:

  1. Grab the Code:
    Open your Terminal and type:

    git clone https://github.com/nuance-dev/Web.git
cd Web

  2. Open It Up:
    Next, launch the project in Xcode:

    open Web.xcodeproj

  3. Build and Go:
    Hit ⌘R in Xcode, and Web will compile and run. Boom—you’re browsing!

If you’re not a developer, hang tight. This is just the beginning, and a simpler install might come later.

How Does Web Work Under the Hood?

Curious about what makes Web tick? It’s built with a structure called MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel), which keeps everything organized and easy to update. Plus, it uses SwiftUI and Combine (a reactive programming tool) for a modern, efficient setup. Here’s a peek at the folders:

Web/
├── Models/           # Where tabs and bookmarks live
├── Views/           # The stuff you see on screen
├── ViewModels/      # The brains connecting it all
├── Services/        # Tools for downloads, history, etc.
├── AI/             # The local AI magic
└── Utils/          # Handy helper tools

The Key Players

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    TabManager: Keeps tabs running smoothly and rests the ones you’re not using.
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    WebView: A SwiftUI wrapper for WebKit’s WKWebView, handling page rendering.
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    MLXRunner: Runs the AI models on your Mac.
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    DownloadManager: Tracks your downloads.
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    BookmarkService: Saves your favorite sites.

It’s all written in Swift 6 with strict rules to keep things clean—no warnings, no errors, just solid code.

Let’s Talk AI: What’s It Really Doing?

The AI in Web is powered by Apple’s MLX framework, optimized for Apple Silicon chips. It’s based on open-source tools like MLX Swift Examples and can run models like Gemma. Here’s the breakdown:

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    Local Processing: Everything happens on your Mac—no internet needed.
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    Web Analysis: The AI sidebar scans pages and gives you quick insights or summaries.
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    Still Growing: It’s buggy at times, but it’s a blast to experiment with.

Think of it like having a little research assistant that reads along with you, all while keeping your data locked down.

Handy Keyboard Shortcuts to Know

Web loves keyboard warriors. Here’s a table of shortcuts to speed things up:

Action Shortcut What It Does
New Tab ⌘T Opens a fresh tab
Close Tab ⌘W Shuts the current tab
Reopen Tab ⇧⌘T Brings back a closed tab
Reload ⌘R Refreshes the page
Address Bar ⌘L Jumps to the URL bar
Find in Page ⌘F Searches the page
Downloads ⇧⌘J Shows your download list
Developer Tools ⌥⌘I Opens tools for nerds
Toggle Top Bar ⇧⌘H Switches the top bar’s look

Memorize a few, and you’ll feel like a pro in no time.

What’s Web Built On?

Web leans on some powerful tools to get the job done:

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    Apple MLX: A machine learning framework for Apple Silicon.
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    MLX Swift Examples: Swift tools for AI integration.
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    WebKit: Apple’s engine for rendering web pages.
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    Core Data: Stores stuff locally, like bookmarks.
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    Combine: Keeps the app responsive and up-to-date.

It’s a solid lineup that makes Web both fast and future-proof.

Want to Help Out?

Web is open-source, so if you’re into coding, you can jump in! Here’s how to contribute:

  1. Fork It: Grab your own copy on GitHub.
  2. Branch Off: Make a new branch with git checkout -b feature/cool-idea.
  3. Code Away: Save your work with git commit -m 'Added a cool idea'.
  4. Push It: Send it to GitHub with git push origin feature/cool-idea.
  5. Pull Request: Open a Pull Request and share your brilliance.

Every little bit helps, whether it’s fixing bugs or adding new tricks.

The Legal Stuff: MIT License

Web is free to use and tinker with under the MIT License. Check the LICENSE file for the full details, but basically, you’re good to go as long as you give credit where it’s due.

Shoutouts

Big thanks to the folks who made Web possible:

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    Apple MLX: For the AI backbone.
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    MLX Swift Examples: For showing how it’s done in Swift.
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    WebKit Team: For a rock-solid rendering engine.
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    Swift Community: For pushing macOS development forward.

Your Questions, Answered (FAQ)

Got questions? I’ve got answers based on what’s in the README. Let’s tackle the big ones:

What macOS versions does Web work on?

You’ll need macOS 14.0 or later. Anything older, and you’re out of luck for now.

Does the AI need an internet connection?

Nope! It’s all local, running on your Mac’s Apple Silicon chip. No cloud, no worries.

Can I use Web on an Intel Mac?

Yes, but only the basic browsing stuff. The AI features need an M1 or M2 chip.

How do I turn off ad blocking?

Right now, you can’t—it’s baked in. The team’s still testing if it can be optional, so stay tuned.

Does Web support extensions?

Not yet. It’s a bare-bones browser for now, but extensions could come later.

Why is it “experimental”?

It’s early days! The AI is improving, and some features (like downloads and privacy settings) are still being tested. Think of it as a sneak peek.

Wrapping Up

So, there you have it—Web, the macOS browser that’s all about simplicity, speed, and a dash of AI smarts. It’s not your everyday browser yet (it’s missing some key features), but it’s a fun project with a lot of potential. If you’ve got an Apple Silicon Mac and a bit of curiosity, give it a spin. Clone it, play with it, maybe even help make it better. Who knows? This could be the start of something big.

🔗 Quick Links

What do you think—ready to take Web for a test drive?