🚀 Nova Browser

A Next-Gen, AI-Native, Privacy-First Browser Built with Electron, React & Vite

Key Features • Screenshots • Quick Start • Architecture • License

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🌟 Overview

Nova Browser is an open-source, ultra-fast desktop web browser designed from the ground up for modern workflows. Featuring a glassmorphic aesthetic, native AI agent integration via Model Context Protocol (MCP), full-page site-like internal interfaces (nova://), and a dual-view split-screen layout, Nova combines the performance of Chromium with the elegance of Arc and Chrome.

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📸 Screenshots

Main Browser View with Vertical Sidebar, Glassmorphic TopBar, and Active Webview

Nova Start Page featuring Speed Dials, Omni Search & Interactive Tasks Widget

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✨ Key Features

🤖 AI Agent & Virtual Cursor (MCP Protocol)

• Model Context Protocol (MCP): Native integration for AI assistants (Cursor, Claude Desktop, Antigravity) to navigate, read pages, click elements, fill forms, and capture screenshots.
• Glowing AI Cursor Overlay: Watch autonomous AI subagents interact with live webpages in real-time with an animated glowing cursor.

🌐 Site-Like Internal Pages (nova://)

• nova://settings: Complete browser preferences, theme toggles, search engine selection, and privacy controls.
• nova://history: Grouped timeline search, date filtering, and quick item deletion.
• nova://downloads: Live progress indicators, pause/resume, folder shortcuts, and file launching.
• nova://extensions: Install packed CRX extensions directly from the Chrome Web Store or load unpacked development add-ons.

🪟 Productivity & Multi-Tasking

• Dual-View Split Screen: Snap two active tabs side-by-side with a drag-to-resize divider.
• Vertical Tabs & Workspaces: Organize tabs into color-coded workspace groups with mute, pin, and duplicate actions.
• Tasks & To-Do Widget: Built-in glassmorphic checklist on the start page with custom check animations and task filtering.

🛡️ Security & Privacy

• Privacy Shield: Built-in AdBlocker and tracking protection powered by @cliqz/adblocker-electron.
• Proxy VPN Support: Toggle free proxy servers or custom VPN endpoints for encrypted browsing.
• Incognito Mode: Isolated session tabs that leave no trace in history or local storage.

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🛠️ Tech Stack

• Shell: Electron 33
• Frontend Framework: React 18 + TypeScript
• Bundler & Build Tool: Vite 6 + esbuild
• Styling & Animations: TailwindCSS + Framer Motion
• Icons: Lucide React
• AdBlock & Filtering: @cliqz/adblocker-electron

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🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher recommended)
• npm or yarn

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/unitybtw/nova-browser.git
cd open-source-browser

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Start development server

npm run dev

4. Build for production

npm run build

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🏗️ Architecture

Nova Browser employs a modern Electron architecture with strict context isolation, a React-based renderer, and a dedicated AI integration layer via the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

graph TD
    subgraph Electron["Electron (Main Process)"]
        main[main.ts<br/>App Lifecycle & IPC]
        mcp[BrowserMCPServer<br/>Local Port: 3020]
        adblock[AdBlocker Engine]
        downloads[Downloads Manager]
    end

    subgraph Preload["Context Bridge (Preload)"]
        api[window.electronAPI]
    end

    subgraph Renderer["React (Renderer Process)"]
        app[App.tsx<br/>Tab & State Management]
        router[Internal Router]
        
        subgraph InternalPages["nova:// Pages"]
            settings[SettingsPage.tsx]
            history[HistoryPage.tsx]
            newtab[NewTabPage.tsx]
        end
        
        webview["&lt;webview&gt;<br/>External Sites"]
        ai[AI Sidebar / WebWorkers]
    end

    subgraph External["External Clients"]
        claude[Claude Desktop / Cursor]
    end

    main <-->|IPC Comm| api
    api <-->|Method Calls| app
    app --> router
    router --> settings
    router --> history
    router --> newtab
    app --> webview
    app --> ai
    main --> adblock
    main --> downloads
    
    claude <-->|JSON-RPC / SSE| mcp
    mcp <-->|DOM Manipulation<br/>click, type, screenshot| webview
    
    style Electron fill:#1e293b,stroke:#47848F,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style Preload fill:#334155,stroke:#94a3b8,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style Renderer fill:#0f172a,stroke:#61DAFB,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style External fill:#172554,stroke:#3b82f6,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff

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Component Breakdown

• Main Process: Handles native OS integration, window management, hardware acceleration, and runs the MCP Server to listen for AI client connections.
• Preload Scripts: Securely bridges communication between Node.js (ipcMain) and the React frontend (ipcRenderer) without exposing Node primitives to the DOM.
• Renderer Process: Built with React, Vite, and TailwindCSS. Manages the browser's UI layout, internal nova:// protocol pages, and embeds external sites using Electron's secure <webview> tags.
• MCP Bridge: A built-in HTTP/SSE server that allows external LLMs to read the DOM, inject JavaScript, and autonomously navigate the browser.

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🤖 MCP (Model Context Protocol) Setup Guide

Nova Browser natively supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing AI assistants to browse the web autonomously.

To connect Claude Desktop to Nova Browser, add the following configuration to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nova-browser": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_YOUR_PROJECT/mcp-bridge.mjs"]
    }
  }
}

Note: Make sure Nova Browser is running before using the Claude Desktop integration.

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🗺️ Roadmap

• Basic Browser Engine (Tabs, Navigation, Webviews)
• Native MCP AI Agent Integration
• Glassmorphic UI & Productivity Tools (Workspaces, Tasks)
• Built-in Privacy Shield (Adblocker)
• Direct Chrome Web Store Extension Installation
• Cross-Device Tab & History Synchronization
• Built-in Local LLM Support (Web-LLM)
• Mobile App Companion

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🛡️ Security & Privacy

Nova Browser takes security seriously:

• Strict Context Isolation: The renderer process is completely isolated from Node.js primitives.
• Sandboxed Webviews: External sites are loaded in securely partitioned <webview> tags that prevent malicious code from escaping into the browser's main process.
• Phishing Protection: Built-in detection for known phishing URLs and domains.
• Zero Telemetry: We do not track your browsing history. Everything is stored locally on your machine.

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🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

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❓ FAQ

Q: Can I use Google Chrome Extensions? A: Yes! You can install packed .crx files directly via the nova://extensions page. Direct Chrome Web Store installations are on our roadmap.

Q: Does Nova track my data? A: No. Nova is 100% privacy-focused. Your history, bookmarks, and passwords remain on your local disk.

Q: Why does the AI cursor fail to click sometimes? A: Make sure you have the exact correct absolute path to mcp-bridge.mjs in your Claude configuration, and ensure that Nova Browser is actively running.

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📄 License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.

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_{Built with ❤️ by the Nova Browser Team}