How Blanc works.

Chromium renders the web. Electron brings it to your desktop.

Blanc is a desktop browser built with Electron, which bundles Chromium for rendering websites. Blanc supplies its own interface, tab management, blocking and permission controls. Electron lets one application support macOS, Windows and Linux. Electron’s process model explains how the runtime and rendering engine fit together.

Chromium is the open-source browser engine used by several browsers. Blanc is not the Google Chrome application: it has its own features and update channel. Using Chromium does not, by itself, describe every connection a browser makes. Those connections are explained below.

Blanc uses official Electron releases. Engine changes arrive through a new Blanc release; the running app cannot independently swap in a newer Chromium.

An app update includes the browser engine.

Installed release builds check Blanc’s official GitHub Releases channel. An update includes the application and its bundled Electron/Chromium runtime. Applying it requires restarting Blanc; a new engine is not downloaded into the running browser separately.

On Linux, Blanc is distributed as an AppImage. Make the downloaded file executable and run it. Its updater replaces the application image when the environment permits; if automatic updating fails, download the new AppImage from the official channel. A writable location and a working AppImage environment are required. AppImage packaging does not keep Chromium updated independently.

macOS releases are signed and notarized. Windows installers carry timestamped Authenticode signatures. Linux AppImages are authenticated through the signed checksum manifest; they do not have the same OS-level signing model. Read the verification instructions and choose your download.

Blocking is built into Blanc.

Blanc Blocker applies network rules and cosmetic filters from bundled, hash-verified EasyList and EasyPrivacy snapshots. It does not fetch changing filter lists or remote scriptlet resources at startup. Reviewed list updates arrive with a new Blanc release.

The blocker is independent of an extension store. You can turn it off for a site when something breaks, or change its setting in the app. Lists target known ads and trackers; blocking cannot guarantee that every tracker is stopped. Explore Blanc Blocker.

What can leave your device?

This is an explanation of shipped behavior, not a live network monitor. Optional features have separate controls; ordinary website traffic is still part of browsing.

Websites you open

Browsing sends requests to those sites and their resources. Blocking reduces known ads and trackers; it cannot stop every form of tracking.

App updates

Installed builds contact GitHub Releases to check for and download Blanc updates. The update replaces the whole app, including its bundled Electron and Chromium.

Search and suggestions

A submitted search goes to your selected search engine. If suggestions are enabled, eligible typed prefixes also go to that provider. Suggestions are excluded from private tabs and recognized sensitive-looking input. Choosing Google makes Google a recipient.

Usage measurement

If enabled after setup, Blanc sends pseudonymous launch and bounded feature-use events to its Cloudflare-hosted collector. They contain random install/session IDs, version, platform, architecture, coarse OS major and fixed feature names—not browsing data. Where the optional Google Analytics mirror is configured, Google receives the keyed hash and allowed event fields.

DNS

Address lookups use your system resolver or the encrypted-DNS provider selected in Settings. Automatic may fall back to ordinary DNS. Encryption does not hide your browsing from every party.

Optional Sync

If you enable Sync, eligible Favorites, settings and optional open-tab snapshots are encrypted before reaching Blanc’s Cloudflare-hosted service. Cookies, passwords and browsing history are not synced.

Optional Patron and 1Password

Patron activation and subscription checks contact Polar. On macOS, the optional 1Password integration contacts your installed 1Password app when you choose Verify or request a fill. It does not provide a general extension runtime.

Optional tab handoff

A handoff transfers selected tab metadata after your request. The ChatGPT path processes that metadata through OpenAI; the Firefox/Safari companion encrypts locally. Neither path transfers logins or cookies.

This website has separate choices. Cloudflare counts page views without cookies, and the download redirect counts aggregate downloads. Google analytics and limited ad-conversion measurement load only after you choose Allow through the footer’s Privacy choices, or if you previously saved that grant. Declining or withdrawing prevents future optional measurement.

Choose what Blanc may send.

Search suggestions and usage measurement are presented on in fresh-install setup. Neither sends until your choices are saved, and you can turn either off before continuing. Later, search suggestions live in Settings → General; usage measurement lives in Settings → Privacy & Security. Your choices stay device-local.

Sync, 1Password and tab handoff require separate actions. Optional website measurement is controlled through this site’s footer. The privacy policy lists data fields, recipients and retention in more detail.

Understand the trade-offs before choosing.

Blanc has no general extension runtime or built-in AI assistant. Private tabs stay out of Blanc’s history and session restore; they do not make you anonymous to websites or your network. Blocking cannot guarantee that every tracker is stopped.

Memory use depends on the workload, engine version and platform. Published measurements are specific runs, not a promise for every computer. Read the benchmark qualifications.

Blanc-owned code is MIT licensed. Names and logos remain reserved, and bundled third-party material keeps its own terms. Read the license, identity carve-outs, and third-party notices.

App explanations checked against public Blanc v1.25.0. Read its source and release evidence. Signed manifests authenticate downloads; they do not establish reproducible builds. More questions?