fresh from the oven.

profile switching and side chat fixes.

this update improves profile-switch stability, adds optional side-chat locking, and fixes a few things around chats, pinned pages, and extensions.

build 24 fixes clipped titles and URLs in the back/forward history menu, including menus with only one page. the selection bubble has an even inset and matching corners, icons are centered, and the navigation arrow stays inside its circle as you pull. quick profile flicks have a small bounce as they settle; slower drags follow your fingers.

build 23 keeps side chat with the tab where you opened it, leaves other panels alone when one closes, and fixes panels opening in the wrong tab after a tab change. profile swipe previews now match the sidebar after release, including pinned tabs and selected rows. back and forward arrows are their normal size again, with matching hover feedback.

build 22 adds a compact back/forward history picker: pull and hold during a page swipe, or hold or right-click a navigation button, then choose a page. reversing a page swipe cancels it, and horizontally scrolling pages keep their own gestures. profile sidebars follow the full swipe and settle from the release position. saved chats have searchable history grouped by day, with direct opening and deletion on right-click. this build also fixes a side-chat crash after closing a tab.

build 21 fixes a userscript-manager bug that could cause extreme memory use and system freezes when switching profiles, including when no user scripts were registered. profile animations return with live tint previews and a directional sidebar slide. cancelled swipes settle back, an older swipe can no longer interrupt a newer one, and unused pinned-icon requests stop. Reduce Motion keeps switching instant and removes the spring effects.

added

• optional side-chat lock. turn on “require password to use side chat” in intelligence settings. unlock once with Touch ID or your Mac password; side chat locks again when loaf quits, your Mac sleeps, or you switch users. the setting is off by default.

improved

• profile switching. profile changes retain one native transparency backdrop, reducing rendering work when switching between opaque and transparent profiles with unloaded pins.
• pinned icons use cached images first, try icon files without fetching the website’s homepage, and share a limit of three concurrent favicon requests. unloaded pins stay unloaded.
• changing side-chat providers keeps your conversation, unfinished question, and attachments. switching providers still requires fresh permission to share page content with a cloud provider.
• saved chats reuse their encryption key during the app session, reducing repeated Keychain prompts while saving. transcripts remain encrypted on disk.
• pinned-page suggestions in the wonderbar open a regular tab and leave the pinned tab where it was. entering a pinned page’s address also opens a separate tab.
• the sidebar’s update reminder has a clearer version label and “review update” control.
• the About window shows the brioche release name alongside the version and build. the installer has refreshed artwork for 1.0.4.

fixed

• Return YouTube Dislike loads its page helper correctly in WebKit and displays dislike counts. existing enabled installations migrate automatically; reload YouTube pages after updating. Chrome extension support remains experimental.
• the Chrome Web Store’s “switch to Chrome” banner stays hidden while loaf’s installation control remains available.
• Apple Intelligence replies address your question more directly and avoid narrating instructions or reviewing their own work.
• tab-hover bookmark controls show the bookmark state of the hovered tab, including when it differs from the selected tab.
• quit confirmation no longer makes a destructive action the default Return-key choice. quit and pause-and-quit actions use macOS destructive-button styling.
• the new-chat control uses the intended compose icon.

Chrome extension support remains experimental. requires macOS 15.4 or later. report a bug if something’s off.

Claude and page summaries.

this update adds Claude and page summaries, gives intelligence its own settings section, and fixes several layout issues around the sidebar, downloads, and side chat.

build 19 fixes website cursors reverting to the default pointer after briefly showing the correct cursor, while keeping native browser controls on their own cursor behavior.

build 17 fixes the settings sidebar selection, corrects the widget resize arrows, adds a default-browser action to the app menu, and restores optional blur during sidebar resizing.

added

• default-browser menu action. choose “make default browser…” in the loaf menu to use loaf for web links. the existing settings button uses the same macOS action.
• Claude. connect an Anthropic API key in intelligence settings and use Claude for side chat, full-page answers, and alternate search. choose from the models available to your key. the key stays in macOS Keychain and is excluded from iCloud sync.
• page summaries. use tl;dr in side chat or “summarize page” in the View menu to get a short summary of the current page. automatic prefers Apple Intelligence on this Mac when available, otherwise Luna through your ChatGPT connection. you can choose a separate summary provider and model.
• intelligence settings. connections, answer and summary models, and the switch to turn AI features off now live in one section. setup lets you choose a provider or continue without one.
• deleted download status. loaf checks whether completed downloads are still available. deleted files are crossed out in the tray, downloads page, and startpage widget, with their open and Finder controls disabled. restoring the file clears the deleted state.

improved

• sidebar resize softening. the brief page blur is back when changing sidebar width or showing and hiding the sidebar. “soften sidebar resizing” is enabled by default in appearance settings; previous opt-outs are preserved. resizing the window stays sharp, and Reduce Motion suppresses the effect.
• attached tabs use smaller, more compact rows, with a rectangular close button that follows the shape of the attachment. sharing and summary controls have properly padded backgrounds.
• the sidebar tray opens above the tab list and weather instead of squeezing the rest of the sidebar. extension overflow scrolls within its available space, and the window controls stay fixed when the tray is open.
• the wonderbar recognizes matching pinned shortcuts, including pins that aren't currently open, and offers “go to pinned tab.” Shift opens a copy of the page: from an empty new-tab page it uses that tab; from a regular page it opens a new one. Option continues to open a background copy.
• answers do a better job of using the question and supplied page context. page reading favors the main content, handles headings and short passages more carefully, and leaves loaded pages intact.
• summary requests use the supplied page text without searching the web or requesting screenshots. Apple Intelligence handles long pages in smaller pieces before producing the final summary.
• chat errors distinguish offline connections, timeouts, rate limits, unavailable models, and interrupted answers. retry controls are clearer about which answer they retry, and disconnecting a provider cancels its active work.
• changing cloud providers requires fresh permission to share attachments. turning AI off stops active chats and summaries and closes side chat.
• startpage download rows provide the same file and transfer controls as the downloads page. long names and transfer status fit more consistently.
• settings actions keep their labels steady while showing progress. settings navigation, search results, and the setup flow include the new intelligence controls.

fixed

• the selected settings section keeps its accent-color background when focus moves to search or a control in the detail pane. selected labels and icons stay readable, and keyboard navigation remains available.
• widget corner arrows now point northwest and southeast, matching the direction of the resize handle. the composed expand and collapse icons use the same diagonal as their system-symbol fallbacks.
• fixed Shazam’s serif fallback and errors from its missing developer-tools page and failed audio-capture request. its popup now uses the macOS system font and explains that song recognition requires Chrome’s unsupported tab audio capture.
• restored the intended size of tab close icons and other UI glyphs after an icon-rendering change made them too large. download-item open and Finder icons are now sized for their rows; the “all downloads” arrow keeps its previous size.
• fixed the overlap between the settings sidebar and the top bar, including the section title shown while scrolling.
• fixed sidebar layout at the minimum browser height with many extensions and long weather-city names. opening the tray keeps the traffic lights in place.
• fixed the white strip beside the startpage when switching to a new tab with side chat open.
• fixed cases where the wonderbar could take focus back from a page. clicking the startpage search control opens an empty search instead of preselecting stale page text.
• closing or quitting from the Dock now brings the warning window forward consistently, including when the browser was minimized or hidden.
• page-read and chat requests handle truncated responses, cancelled work, provider disconnects, and stale attachment permission more carefully.

a few limits

Claude requires your own Anthropic API key. model availability depends on your connected provider. Apple Intelligence depends on your Mac and system settings. images and screenshots currently require a compatible ChatGPT model.

Chrome extensions, userscript support, and iCloud sync remain experimental. the compatibility notes and privacy policy cover the current limits and what is shared with an AI provider.

requires macOS 15.4 or later. report a bug or email me if something's off.

side chat, userscripts, and fixes.

this update adds side chat, more ways to bring pages into a conversation, and experimental support for userscript managers. it also fixes browser imports and a number of smaller things around profiles, the wonderbar, downloads, and the sidebar.

added

• side chat. ask a question beside the page you're reading, with ChatGPT or Apple Intelligence when available. keep browsing while an answer comes in, start a new conversation, or return to a saved chat.
• page and tab context. include the current page, a selected excerpt, or additional open tabs in a question. attached pages appear in the composer, so you can see and remove what you're sharing. page references in answers let you inspect the text used.
• image attachments and page screenshots. attach images with a compatible ChatGPT model. if an answer needs a look at the page, loaf shows a preview of the visible viewport and asks before sharing it. you can decline and continue from text.
• model and reasoning controls. choose from the models listed by your connected ChatGPT account and adjust reasoning effort where supported. access and image support depend on the selected model and your account.
• conversation controls. edit a question, retry an answer, move between alternate replies, stop a response, and copy an answer. the composer supports multiline messages with Shift-Return.
• saved chats. regular-profile conversations are stored in an encrypted local archive with a Keychain key. a separate, optional setting can sync transcripts and attached page text through iCloud; it requires iCloud sync and iCloud Keychain. images and screenshots stay on this Mac. private chats are never saved or synced.
• userscript manager support. experimental compatibility for Tampermonkey and the Manifest V3 userscript API. registrations and manager settings are saved per profile and survive restarts. scripts can run in their own isolated world or in the page, according to their registration and approved website permissions.
• custom profile icons. choose an image for a profile alongside the existing emoji picker. profile icons appear throughout the sidebar, wonderbar, settings, and profile menus.
• tab placement. choose whether new tabs go at the top of the sidebar. the default places them at the top.
• download cache controls. choose how long to retain unfinished cached transfers, including a custom duration. cleanup leaves files saved to your chosen folders alone.

improved

• side chat has explicit controls for web searches, public-page reads, and screenshots. search prompts show the query being sent; attached page text isn't automatically added to side-chat search queries. public-page reads use temporary sessions without your saved website logins.
• answers render more steadily as text arrives, with better handling of incomplete Markdown, links, citations, native text selection, and copying.
• Apple Intelligence uses smaller, bounded requests and search results to fit the system model's context limits. availability still depends on your Mac and system settings.
• profile swipes show the neighboring profile as you drag and settle more consistently on release. cancelled gestures and momentum are handled more carefully.
• the extension tray keeps four extensions within reach, puts extras in an expandable area, and lets you reorder them by dragging. extension settings use expandable rows for permissions, status, and diagnostics.
• the wonderbar sizes itself to the results instead of leaving an empty panel. labels better distinguish searches, favorites, and tabs in other windows, and keyboard selection stays steadier when remote suggestions arrive.
• startpage search stays compact, including in older saved layouts. widget positioning, spacing, and the default arrangement have been adjusted.
• tabs, pinned shortcuts, split panes, profile colors, and window transitions have a collection of smaller layout and interaction fixes.
• the About window has a simpler layout, a single update control, and a quieter footer for creator and project links.
• website settings and privacy controls use more compact rows. removing an extension, clearing website data, resetting site overrides, and deleting browsing-time records have clearer confirmation dialogs.
• the browser font is bundled with the app, so the interface no longer depends on having Golzheim installed separately.

fixed

• browser imports validate and deduplicate history, bookmarks, cookies, and saved tabs before applying them. invalid or conflicting entries are excluded with warnings.
• imports save browser data before writing cookies or opening imported websites. a failed save stops the import and retains the existing profile data.
• importing into an existing profile preserves its sign-ins. cookie imports require a new profile, and history imports stop if they would exceed the profile's capacity.
• Safari import discovery handles its browsing-data folders and cookie container separately, with clearer folder-access steps and better feedback when no supported data is found.
• favicon loading handles more icon formats and applies tighter validation to malformed or unsafe SVG content. site icons are more consistent across browser surfaces.
• unfinished downloads retain better destination access across relaunches, with fixes for cache cleanup and background transfer handling.
• update reminders and the updater's window behavior have been adjusted so checking for an update interferes less with browsing.
• assorted fixes for sidebar attachment, profile switching, menu behavior, settings focus, and page layout.

a few limits

Chrome extensions and userscript support remain experimental. some Chrome APIs and Tampermonkey features aren't available in WebKit; reload existing pages after adding scripts or changing a manager's state. the compatibility notes cover the current limits.

iCloud sync is experimental, and live syncing between two Macs hasn't been fully verified. chat transcript sync is off by default and has its own setting. the privacy policy explains what is saved, shared with an AI provider, or synced.

requires macOS 15.4 or later. report a bug or email me if something's off.

iCloud sync, widgets, and fixes.

this update adds experimental iCloud sync, two new startpage widgets, and more control over individual websites. there’s also quite a bit of work on the wonderbar, menus, and sidebar.

added

• experimental iCloud sync. share profiles, pinned tabs, tab groups, appearance, and selected browser preferences across Macs signed in to the same Apple Account. turn it on in settings on each Mac. it’s off by default, and doesn’t need a loaf account.
• tabs from other Macs. see the pages open on your other Macs and open a copy in the right profile. opening or closing the copy leaves the original alone.
• timer and stopwatch widgets. add either to your startpage. the timer has presets, a custom duration, pause, reset, and a chime while loaf is open. each profile keeps its own timers.
• current-location weather. an optional alternative to choosing a city. loaf asks for macOS location permission and updates the forecast when your location changes.
• searchable website settings. find saved sites in settings, or jump to one from settings search. adjust permissions, downloads, ad blocking, password saving, zoom, JavaScript, autoplay, pop-ups, and browser identity in one place. reset a site’s overrides or clear its data there too.
• menu capitalization. choose standard capitalization or loaf’s lowercase commands in appearance settings. website titles and your profile names keep their spelling.

improved

• the wonderbar does more history work in the background, keeps its selection steady as suggestions arrive, and offers a better mix of tabs, history, favorites, sites, and searches. choices you make can improve its local suggestions.
• wonderbar results show what holding a modifier will do. Shift opens a new tab, Option opens a background tab, and Control copies the address or search URL. your alternate-search shortcut works with results too.
• startpage widgets line up more consistently, resize more predictably, and update with less unnecessary work. the widget gallery uses simpler icons, and checklist swipes behave more consistently.
• saved website controls use compact rows that fit properly in both the address popover and settings. cookies are easier to search, inspect, and delete.
• the miniplayer’s controls move with it as it expands and collapses. collapsing no longer leaves the compact play button under the pointer.
• the sidebar stays clipped to its bounds during transitions, with fixes for hover behavior, group controls, tab rows, and window chrome.
• bookmarks and history menus have clearer sections and keep website titles intact. site icons appear more reliably, including in macOS 27 menus.
• favicon loading handles multi-size icons, inline image icons, and local development sites more carefully, and avoids repeatedly requesting the same failed icon.
• extension diagnostics now include WebKit runtime errors, so an extension can explain why something isn’t working.
• the installer uses the new disk icon. the bundled legal documents and website privacy policy are updated for this release.

a note on sync

iCloud sync is experimental. its local logic has been tested, but live syncing between two Macs hasn’t been verified yet. keep backups if you try it with important data.

private profiles, history, cookies, passwords, extensions, notes, checklists, and downloads stay out of sync. the privacy policy has the full list and explains what goes to iCloud.

requires macOS 15.4 or later. report a bug or email me if something’s off.

initial release

the first public release of loaf.

i’ve worked on browsers off and on for years. loaf brings that work together in a native Mac app, built with SwiftUI and WebKit. much of the work has been in how it feels to use: switching tabs, moving between profiles, and keeping controls within reach.

Chrome extension support is experimental. search suggestions are off by default, and loaf doesn’t collect analytics or send telemetry.

requires macOS 15.4 or later. tested on macOS 27.

report a bug or email me if you run into a problem.

terms & privacy

the terms and privacy policy are now part of the app. you can read them before agreeing on first launch, and they’re available offline.

the privacy policy explains which online features are enabled by default and what they send to their providers. old bug reports are deleted automatically, and the website’s fonts are hosted here.

the source license covers forks, local builds for review, and short excerpts used in discussion or bug reports.

downloads & updates

loaf now has a signed, notarized installer and automatic updates through Sparkle. the installer artwork works at standard and Retina resolutions. updates include release notes and smaller downloads when possible.

the website is in place too, with screenshots, dark mode, and layouts for smaller screens. bug reports go through a private form with a submission limit.

tabs, search & navigation

more of the work behind tab switching and history search now happens in the background. both stay more responsive when there are a lot of tabs open.

pinch magnification works alongside page zoom, and history gestures have their own settings. tab closing is more consistent across regular and private windows, and wonderbar suggestions stay in sync as you type.

the sidebar has loading indicators and more actions for pinned tabs. page titles appear in native windows, and find-in-page has been checked across frames, PDFs, and reader view.

passwords & profiles

each profile now has a password manager backed by your Mac’s Keychain. passwords stay local, with search, editing, encrypted notes, and a generator. CSV imports can be reviewed before anything is saved.

filling a supported HTTPS login form requires authentication, and the password manager locks automatically. private browsing uses temporary website storage.

profiles have more room for customization, including colors, appearance settings, and startpage widgets. i also adjusted tab groups and the tray, and refined keyboard navigation and scrolling.

sidebar, tray & miniplayer

the main interface is in place. the sidebar brings tabs, pinned sites, and profiles together. downloads, history, and favorites live in the tray, with the wonderbar handling navigation and search.

the miniplayer has compact and expanded views, playback controls, seeking, and its own volume control. Chrome extension support is still experimental, and compatibility varies.

loaf is built with Swift and WebKit. much of this work was in the details: spacing, icons, motion, and making the controls fit smaller windows.