Helium Browser 0.13.1.1

Helium is a fast, private Ungoogled-Chromium browser with built-in ad-blocking, no telemetry, full extension support, and 13,000+ offline !bangs.

Razvan Serea News Reporter Neowin · Jun 8, 2026 00:11 EDT with 1 comment

Helium Browser

Helium is a private, fast, and honest Chromium-based web browser — built for people, with love. It offers the best privacy by default, unbiased ad-blocking, and a clean experience free from bloat and noise. Proudly based on Ungoogled-Chromium, Helium removes Google’s clutter while keeping a fast, efficient development pipeline. With thoughtful touches like native !bangs and split view, Helium is a people-first, fully open-source browser that puts control back in your hands.

Privacy, security, and control come first. Ads, trackers, and third-party cookies are blocked automatically, HTTPS is enforced everywhere, and all Chromium extensions work seamlessly — while Google can’t track your activity. Helium’s 13,000+ offline-ready !bangs let you jump straight to sites or AI tools like ChatGPT instantly. Open-source, people-first, and unbiased, Helium delivers a browsing experience that’s fast, secure, and free from noise, ads, and compromises.

Helium Browser key features:

Performance

Fast, efficient, and lightweight — built on Chromium’s optimized engine.
Energy-saving and consistent — stays fast over time without slowing down.
No bloat — stripped of unnecessary components for maximum speed.
Minimalist interface — compact, clean, and distraction-free.
Customizable toolbar — hide elements you don’t need.
Smooth and stable — no flicker, lag, or animation glitches.
Comfort-focused experience — intuitive and unobtrusive.

Privacy & Security

Best privacy by default — blocks ads, trackers, phishing, and third-party cookies.
Unbiased ad-blocking — powered by community filters and uBlock Origin.
No telemetry or analytics — zero background web requests on first launch.
Strict HTTPS enforcement — warns for insecure sites.
Passkeys supported — modern authentication made simple.
No built-in password manager or cloud sync — your data stays yours.

Extension Compatibility

Full Chromium extension support — including MV2 extensions.
Anonymized Chrome Web Store requests — Google can’t track extension installs.
Extended MV2 support — maintained for as long as possible.

Smart Features

Native !bangs — browse faster using 13,000+ offline-ready shortcuts.
AI integration — use !chatgpt and others directly from the address bar.
Offline functionality — bangs work without an Internet connection.

Philosophy

People-first design — open source, transparent, and community-driven.
No ads, no noise, no bias — privacy and honesty over profit.

Helium Browser 0.13.1.1 changelog:

Helium Windows

e13ddd4 update: helium 0.13.1.1 (#285)
77ee94b helium/windows: winsparkle updater (built-in auto-update support on Windows)
e501e98 helium/windows: refresh updater patches for m149
008faee helium/win: move versioning patches to separate file
e114701 helium/updater: implement system install update notifications
c9e3cda helium/winsparkle: verboser errors
b8f787c helium/windows: more version migrations
cd376ed ci: sign update helper with different description
5d2383a build: wire up winsparkle envs
3ff28ff helium/updater: init
ca58f6f helium/change-branding: use helium version in more internal places
75b2625 .gitignore: add resources/generated
abe78f2 downloads: add winsparkle dep
4ed4429 build: build mini_installer again
fabf8e9 update: helium 0.13.1.1

Helium-Chromium

5bf45fed merge: update to chromium 149.0.7827.53 (#1857)
3bbe6a3c revision: reset to 1
e3525bb6 helium/zen: reorder patch hunks
d48bc496 deps: update ublock to 1.71.0 (#1875)
d4e58802 helium/ui: redesign infobar, optimize and rename zen (#1868)
c20175cf helium/ui/infobar: redesign, draw proper borders, fix webview relations
e8a1bfc1 helium/zen: rename Zen to Frameless in UI, remove feature gates
bf560c6a helium/layout: optimize zen top reveal, move out of experiment dir
34ef5f26 patches/brave/chrome-importer: remove os_crypt-related dead code
99cef46c helium/ui: clean up patches, fix accidental string OS gates
5b7dd06c devutils/i18n: add clean command (#1869)
7a32267e helium/updater: add win scaffolding, tighten arch conditions (#1866)
d856d800 ci: complete cirrus port to github actions (#1867)
c362740d patches: update for chromium 149.0.7827.53
b8a66095 merge: update ungoogled-chromium to 149.0.7827.53
a3a5471d Update to Chromium 149.0.7827.53
c6a41202 helium/updates: decouple update url from helium services + reformat (#1827)
94344c47 Update to Chromium 148.0.7778.215
95f6fe1c Port CirrusCI jobs to github actions (#3776)