🚀 1. Getting Started

WhoBrowser is an ambient social side-panel and autonomous AI layer for Chromium browsers. It transforms ordinary, isolated web browsing into a live interactive experience.

Installation Options

You can install WhoBrowser through two primary paths:

  • Official Store: 1-Click install from the Chrome Web Store once your invitation or public release is active.
  • Developer Beta Build: Download the latest archive (whobrowser-extension-latest.zip) from the Beta Portal and load it via chrome://extensions with Developer mode enabled.

Opening the Side Panel

Once installed, click the W✦ WhoBrowser icon in your browser extensions bar. The native Chromium Side Panel will slide open on the right edge of your screen and stay active as you navigate between links.

Tip: Pin to Toolbar Click the puzzle-piece extensions icon in Chrome and click the pin icon next to WhoBrowser so you can open or close the social panel with a single click.

💬 2. Live Domain & Page Chat

Every domain on the internet is an instant social room on WhoBrowser.

Domain-Wide vs. Exact-Page Scope

At the top of the chat panel, you can toggle between two discussion scopes:

  • Entire Domain (Default): Talk with everyone currently browsing anywhere on the domain (e.g., all visitors across reddit.com or amazon.com).
  • This Page: Pin your conversation specifically to the exact URL path you are viewing (e.g., amazon.com/dp/B08N5WRWNW). Great for product discussions or article comments.

Real-Time Presence Count

The top bar shows live visitors currently browsing the domain. When other users navigate to the site or send a message, counters and typing indicators update in sub-50 milliseconds via WebSockets.

Rolling 24-Hour Active History

Chat rooms are ephemeral and privacy-focused: messages are preserved on a rolling 24-hour time-to-live buffer, capped at 50 messages per room, preventing stale historical storage.

✦ 3. Autonomous Domain AI Host (Gemini)

Every website you visit has a dedicated AI Concierge powered by Google Gemini, giving you instant intelligence without leaving the page.

Core AI Capabilities

  • 3-Bullet Page Summary: Quick action chip that distills lengthy articles, terms of service, or technical documentation into 3 concise takeaways.
  • Shopping Deal & Coupon Finder: When browsing ecommerce stores, the AI identifies active promotions, verified discount codes, and pricing context.
  • Cross-Web Sentiment Analysis: Asks the AI for web-wide consensus, reviews, and community sentiment regarding products or topics on the page.
Zero Context Switching You never have to copy-paste URLs or open ChatGPT in a separate tab. The AI is already situated in the domain context.

👥 4. Multiplayer Co-Browsing ("Follow Me")

Co-Browsing lets you guide friends, clients, or teammates through live synchronized web browsing sessions.

Starting a Session (Leader)

Click Start Session in the Buddies tab. WhoBrowser generates a unique high-entropy session code (e.g. CB-7X9K-2M4Q) and copies an invite link (https://whobrowser.com/join/CB-7X9K-2M4Q) to your clipboard.

Following a Tour (Follower)

Friends who click the link or paste the code into the inline Join Code drawer become followers. As you navigate from page to page or domain to domain, your followers' browsers automatically redirect to the same URLs.

Connection Status Bar Indicators

  • Green (Active): Leader and followers are connected and in live synchronization.
  • Amber (Host Navigating): Host has navigated to a new link. A 60-second grace period keeps followers attached while the leader's socket re-establishes.
  • Red (Disconnected): The leader ended the session or exceeded the reconnection grace period.

🛡️ 5. Privacy & Security Architecture

WhoBrowser is built with privacy-first engineering, ensuring your browsing habits remain private.

Zero-Knowledge Domain Hashing

Websocket presence rooms use one-way cryptographic hashes. Private browsing history is never stored, cataloged, or associated with real-world identities.

Automatic Sensitive Page Protection

When you visit banking portals, healthcare sites, tax portals, or private intranet URLs, WhoBrowser automatically detects the sensitivity and pauses social chatting and tracking instantly.

1-Click Ghost Mode

Click the 👻 Ghost icon at any time to browse invisibly. You will not show up in visitor directories, while still being able to read public conversations and use the AI Concierge.

👤 6. Identity & Handle Reservation

WhoBrowser handles are 3 to 20 alphanumeric characters prefixed by @.

  • Guest Handles: Visitors start with anonymous guest handles like Guest-4821.
  • Custom Handles: You can set your custom handle anytime in Extension Settings or reserve it via the Beta Portal.
  • Brand & System Protection: System terms (admin, support) and registered trademarks (google, apple, earthskater) are strictly protected.