Even if you haven't switched to a full-fledged agentic AI browser yet, you’ve probably noticed that AI features are slowly but surely creeping into the browser you use daily. While some of these additions are genuinely useful, many of them show up in ways you didn’t really ask for.

With how quickly AI is developing, the frequency of new AI-powered features appearing in your everyday browser is only going to increase. The worst part is that you often need to manually hunt down these AI features in your browser's settings, and then disable them one by one. Well, if you're tired of using bloated browsers and miss the simplicity of a clean browsing experience, we found a free script that might be exactly what you're looking for.

So, what is the “Just the Browser” script?

The best way to take back control of your browser

Just the Browser is a free script created by tech writer Corbin Davenport that’s designed to practically strip everything people hate about browsers nowadays. This includes removing AI features, telemetry data reporting (meaning your browser sends less usage data back to the company), sponsored or third-party content, product integrations, default browser reminders, and other unnecessary extras that contribute to bloat. This effectively gives you "just the browser" functionality without needing to switch to another browser!

Here's everything the script disables for Google Chrome:

  • Google’s AI Mode integrations in the address bar and the New Tab page search box
  • Ability to create custom themes and wallpapers with generative AI
  • Gemini app integrations
  • Local AI model download
  • Help Me Write feature powered by AI
  • AI History Search
  • AI-powered Tab Compare
  • Forces Chrome to use the host OS DNS client instead of the built-in DNS client
  • Prevents Chrome from checking if it’s the default browser and showing notifications
  • Dev Tools AI-powered debugging
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Here's everything the script disables for Microsoft Edge:

  • First-run experience and splash screen
  • Recommendations to set Edge as the default PDF viewer
  • Customized background images, text suggestions, notifications, and Microsoft service tips
  • Redirects New Tab search bar to the address bar (default search engine)
  • Local generative AI model download
  • Account login prompts when signed into Microsoft websites
  • Edge starting up with Windows and running in the background
  • Copilot/Bing Chat links and suggestions on the New Tab page
  • MSN and other Microsoft service content on the New Tab page
  • Sponsored Top Sites links on the New Tab page
  • DALL-E browser themes
  • Automatic data import from other browsers on first run
  • Web pages using built-in AI APIs (LanguageModel, Summarization, Writer, Rewriter)
  • Edge using the host OS DNS client instead of the built-in DNS client
  • 'Rewrite with Copilot' feature
  • Copilot accessing web page context
  • Edge asking to be the default browser
  • Prompt to set Bing as the default search engine and Edge as default browser
  • Diagnostic data reporting
  • Shopping features like price comparison, coupons, rebates, and express checkout
  • Copilot button in the toolbar
  • 'Edit with Acrobat' button in PDFs
  • Microsoft Rewards notifications
  • Dialogs, flyouts, coach marks, and banners recommending features
  • Sending tab data to Microsoft for tab organization suggestions
  • Text prediction in long web page text fields
  • Visual search menu and sidebar options when hovering over images
  • AI-enhanced search in browsing history
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Finally, here's everything the script disables for Firefox:

  • Firefox Studies that may involve additional analytics
  • Telemetry data uploads (and local telemetry storage)
  • Popup warnings about Firefox not being the default browser
  • Sponsored stories, sponsored top sites, and store content on the Firefox Home page
  • All generative AI features, including sidebar chatbots, link previews, and tab group suggestions
  • Perplexity AI as a default search engine
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Instead of applying wonky workarounds that might not necessarily work for the long term, the script simply takes advantage of hidden settings in web browsers that are designed for companies and organizations by forcibly disabling the features above.

These are all settings you'll find in the Group Policy section, and are typically meant for enterprise environments rather than everyday users. Members of IT teams typically manage and configure these settings to disable features that lean toward the stubborn side, which is why most regular users never even see them.

While you can certainly go through the hassle of manually disabling each setting yourself, this script simply does all the heavy lifting for you. Although this makes it a safe script to use, it also, unfortunately, means that it won't remove any of the AI features you find on the actual websites you'll visit. So, while you'll still need to keep up with annoying AI features left and right, at least your browser itself won’t be contributing to the clutter.

The script is open-source under the MIT license, and you can find the code on its GitHub repository, and you can currently use it on Chrome, Edge, and Firefox (which is now seemingly big on AI). The script also works for Chromium builds on Linux.

Installing the script is about as easy as it gets

Takes seconds to set up

The best part is just how quickly you can get this script going! If you're a Windows user, simply head to Terminal or PowerShell as an administrator, and paste the following command:

& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/corbindavenport/just-the-browser/refs/tags/v1.1/main.ps1")))

On macOS and Linux, simply open the Terminal app and paste the following command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/corbindavenport/just-the-browser/refs/tags/v1.1/main.sh)"

The script will then ask you which browser you’d like to apply the changes to, and handle the rest automatically. You can also download the script for the browser you'd like to apply the changes to directly by clicking one of the following guides: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox. You'll find detailed step-by-step instructions here, neatly broken down by operating system.

Regardless of the route you choose to take, setting it up shouldn't take more than a minute or two. Once you've run the script, restart your browser, and you should be good to go! You can check which policies are applied by navigating to the following pages:

  • Google Chrome: chrome://policy/
  • Microsoft Edge: edge://policy/
  • Firefox: about:policies

Might just be the best way to de-bloat your browser

If you're tired of manually finding each setting and toggling it off, this script is exactly what you've been looking for. No extensions, no third-party apps, and no complicated workarounds! While many resort to switching to a new niche browser entirely, this script lets you keep using the browser you already know.