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Changelog

This changelog reconstructs the project history from version 0.0.24 through 1.0.27 using the repository's tagged compare data, release notes, versioned README changes, and current installer/update work.

1.0.27

Added

  • The shell theme menu now supports multiple muted built-in color themes: Graphite, Slate Blue, Forest Ash, and Mocha.
  • A persistent toolbar-visibility state was added so users can hide the main shortcut row while keeping the address bar and quick-access » menu available.
  • Keyboard shortcuts were added for Toggle Bookmark Bar (Ctrl+Shift+B) and Toggle Toolbar (Ctrl+Alt+T), and the shortcut guide was updated to match.

Updated

  • The Bookmarks and » toolbar menus now use native popup menus instead of in-page dropdown overlays.
  • The toolbar layout was refined so hidden-toolbar mode still keeps the omnibox accessible and the quick-access menu visible.
  • The Theme app menu was expanded from a single dark-mode toggle into a muted multi-theme selector with Ctrl+Shift+D cycling between themes.
  • ARCHITECTURE.md and Browser-Privacy-Comparison.md were updated to document the current shell state, theme behavior, updater validation, and extension/password hardening paths.

Security

  • Managed updates now fail closed unless both the release metadata URL and installer URL use https: and the published release includes a valid SHA-256 hash for installer verification before launch.
  • Imported extensions now load without local file access, reject symlinked folders, require Manifest V2 or V3 structure, and warn the user before importing extensions with broad or higher-risk permissions.
  • Password save and reveal flows are now restricted to secure contexts such as https: pages and local loopback development hosts.
  • The renderer-side CSP was tightened with explicit object-src 'none', base-uri 'none', frame-ancestors 'none', and narrower resource directives.
  • Several renderer UI paths were cleaned up to reduce unnecessary innerHTML usage in favor of direct DOM construction.

Dependency Audit

  • A local npm audit pass reported 0 known vulnerabilities in the current dependency tree.

1.0.25

Updated

  • The package version was advanced to 1.0.25.
  • Release and README documentation were updated to match the 1.0.25 installer package name and current feature set.
  • Download handling was refined so files from trusted sources such as GitHub can complete more reliably while browser security protections remain in place.
  • The page context menu and tab context menu were refined toward a cleaner Chromium-style workflow.
  • Passkey and WebAuthn sign-in compatibility for supported websites was improved.
  • Install-path handling was updated so external-drive installs can move install-linked browser data off C: and onto the selected external drive.

Performance

  • Memory usage was reduced on streaming-heavy sites such as Twitch and Kick to improve responsiveness and stability.

Notes

  • Automatic updates remains the default installer selection, while Manual updates only remains available.

1.0.17

  • Dependency Security Update

    Highlights

  • Encrypted saved-password vault with on-demand reveal, manual add and remove controls, and strong-password generation

  • Bookmark import from Edge, Chrome, Brave, Opera, or a user-chosen bookmark file with explicit consent gating for path scans and manual file access

  • Chromium extension import support for Edge, Chrome, Brave, and Opera profile folders plus manual folder import

  • VPN manager support for NordVPN, ExpressVPN, ProtonVPN, and WireGuard with Proton .conf validation and import

  • Browser-session public IP testing with separate IPv4 and IPv6 checks in the VPN panel

  • Installer update-mode choice with Automatic updates and Manual updates only, plus an owner-run managed update server flow for installs that opt into automatic updates

  • Installer-time opt-in registration so Automatic updates installs can notify the update server immediately after setup

  • Manual Check for Updates entry in the app menu with clearer version and status feedback

  • Improved uninstall flow with custom install-path tracking, external-drive install support, and better cleanup of stale install metadata

  • Uninstall options that let users choose which local data categories should be removed or kept

  • Existing browser shell features remain in place, including bookmark bar, split-view browsing, site permissions, ad blocking, download protection, sleepable tabs, and runtime diagnostics

What's New In 1.0.17

  • Password capture from supported login forms now stores encrypted entries locally and keeps passwords hidden until the user explicitly reveals them.
  • The browser can suggest strong passwords both from the passwords panel and on supported password forms.
  • Bookmark import now separates consent for browser-path scanning and manual bookmark-file browsing.
  • Extension import scans supported Chromium profile locations and restores imported extensions into the persistent main session.
  • VPN integration now includes installed-client detection, external app launch shortcuts, local Proton profile import, and browser network refresh support.
  • Public IP testing now surfaces both IPv4 and IPv6 results so users can verify whether the browser session is going through the expected network path.
  • Installer builds can now record whether the user selected Automatic updates or Manual updates only, register auto-update installs with an owner-run update server immediately after setup, and fetch/download the latest published installer from that server flow.
  • The update server now restricts dashboard access, client-list access, and release publishing to the owner machine by default.
  • Users can now manually run Check for Updates from the app menu and see installed-versus-available version feedback.
  • Custom install locations now better support external HDDs, external SSDs, and USB flash drives.
  • Uninstall now cleans up tracked custom install paths more reliably, lets users choose which local data categories to remove, and suppresses false leftover warnings when cleanup finishes successfully.
  • Automatic updates is now the default installer selection, while Manual updates only remains available as an opt-out choice.

1.0.15

Highlights

  • Encrypted saved-password vault with on-demand reveal, manual add and remove controls, and strong-password generation
  • Bookmark import from Edge, Chrome, Brave, Opera, or a user-chosen bookmark file with explicit consent gating for path scans and manual file access
  • Chromium extension import support for Edge, Chrome, Brave, and Opera profile folders plus manual folder import
  • VPN manager support for NordVPN, ExpressVPN, ProtonVPN, and WireGuard with Proton .conf validation and import
  • Browser-session public IP testing with separate IPv4 and IPv6 checks in the VPN panel
  • Installer update-mode choice with Automatic updates and Manual updates only, plus an owner-run managed update server flow for installs that opt into automatic updates
  • Installer-time opt-in registration so Automatic updates installs can notify the update server immediately after setup
  • Manual Check for Updates entry in the app menu with clearer version and status feedback
  • Improved uninstall flow with custom install-path tracking, external-drive install support, and better cleanup of stale install metadata
  • Uninstall options that let users choose which local data categories should be removed or kept
  • Existing browser shell features remain in place, including bookmark bar, split-view browsing, site permissions, ad blocking, download protection, sleepable tabs, and runtime diagnostics

What's New In 1.0.15

  • Password capture from supported login forms now stores encrypted entries locally and keeps passwords hidden until the user explicitly reveals them.
  • The browser can suggest strong passwords both from the passwords panel and on supported password forms.
  • Bookmark import now separates consent for browser-path scanning and manual bookmark-file browsing.
  • Extension import scans supported Chromium profile locations and restores imported extensions into the persistent main session.
  • VPN integration now includes installed-client detection, external app launch shortcuts, local Proton profile import, and browser network refresh support.
  • Public IP testing now surfaces both IPv4 and IPv6 results so users can verify whether the browser session is going through the expected network path.
  • Installer builds can now record whether the user selected Automatic updates or Manual updates only, register auto-update installs with an owner-run update server immediately after setup, and fetch/download the latest published installer from that server flow.
  • The update server now restricts dashboard access, client-list access, and release publishing to the owner machine by default.
  • Users can now manually run Check for Updates from the app menu and see installed-versus-available version feedback.
  • Custom install locations now better support external HDDs, external SSDs, and USB flash drives.
  • Uninstall now cleans up tracked custom install paths more reliably, lets users choose which local data categories to remove, and suppresses false leftover warnings when cleanup finishes successfully.
  • Automatic updates is now the default installer selection, while Manual updates only remains available as an opt-out choice.

1.0.13

Added

  • A manual Check for Updates menu entry was added so users can trigger update checks on demand and see clearer version/status feedback.
  • Custom install locations now explicitly support external HDDs, external SSDs, and USB flash drives with writable-path validation during setup.
  • Uninstall now prompts the user to choose whether local browser data should be removed or kept for a future reinstall or update.

Updated

  • The package version was advanced to 1.0.13.
  • Current release documentation and installer-facing version references were updated to 1.0.13.
  • Installer metadata tracking was expanded to record install root and drive-type details for custom install paths.
  • Update preference persistence now keeps custom install-path metadata in sync after launch.

Fixed

  • Uninstall cleanup now better targets tracked custom install directories instead of relying only on default locations.
  • Ghost-install cleanup was improved by removing stale install metadata and validating remaining leftovers after uninstall.

1.0.1-0.10

  • Security Update Dependency

1.0.1-0.7

  • Security Update Dependency

1.0.1-0.5

  • Security Update Dependency

1.0.1-0.3

  • Security Update Dependency

1.0.10-01

  • Security Update Dependency

1.0.10

  • Security Update Dependency
  • minor updates

1.0.8

Updated

  • The package version was advanced to 1.0.8.
  • Current release documentation and installer-facing version references were updated to 1.0.8.

1.0.6

Added

  • Installer-time auto-update check-in was added so installs that choose Automatic updates can register with the owner-run update server immediately after setup.

Updated

  • The package version was advanced to 1.0.6.
  • Current release documentation and installer-facing version references were updated to 1.0.6.
  • The managed update server now separates end-user client access from owner-only dashboard and release-management actions.

0.9.23

Added

  • Encrypted saved-password storage was added with manual add, reveal, remove, and strong-password generation flows.
  • Bookmark import was expanded to supported Chromium browser paths plus manual bookmark-file import.
  • Separate consent gating was added for browser bookmark-path scanning and manual bookmark-file access.
  • Chromium extension import support was added for Edge, Chrome, Brave, and Opera profile folders.
  • VPN tooling was added for installed-client detection, Proton .conf validation/import, and browser-session IP checks.
  • Installer update-mode selection was added for Automatic updates and Manual updates only, along with an owner-run managed updater that can register opted-in installs, publish the latest release, and let clients download and launch that installer.

Updated

  • Release, README, privacy, and architecture documentation were refreshed for version 0.9.23.
  • Update documentation was revised to describe the owner-run managed updater, published release flow, and the limited fields it collects.
  • Browser persistence behavior was updated so uninstall no longer deletes app data by default.
  • Startup logging was reduced so blocked tracker noise and low-level Chromium network spam do not flood the terminal.

Fixed

  • Bookmark import consent rules now apply correctly to both browser-path scanning and manual bookmark-file browsing.
  • VPN .conf scanning was tightened so there is no automatic common-folder scan path.

0.6.3

Added

  • Bookmark bar support was added to the main browser shell with persistent saved-page chips, one-click navigation, and inline removal.
  • Chrome-style tab context actions were added for new tab, duplicate tab, close tab, and split-view replacement.
  • Split-view browsing was added so two BrowserView tabs can be displayed side-by-side with a draggable divider.
  • Site permission controls were added from the address bar shell for camera, microphone, notifications, location, popups, clipboard, automatic downloads, and fullscreen.
  • The Bubbles home page now keeps provider results on-page while switching between Bubbles, Google-backed, and DuckDuckGo-backed result sources.

Updated

  • Download protection now runs through a modular provider chain with fallback behavior, including Windows Defender, Authenticode signature checks, and browser heuristics.
  • Ad-block diagnostics now show loaded-rule status and per-page blocked counters in addition to the existing Bubbles home verification page.
  • Full-screen handling now uses a clean F11 toggle path plus an in-shell exit control.
  • Local browser state and exported diagnostics now use compressed persisted payloads, with OS-backed encryption when available.
  • A runtime checks panel was added to the browser shell so users can inspect security, download protection, ad blocking, executable path, and performance state in-app.

Fixed

  • Full-screen exit reliability was improved so the window can still be closed or exited cleanly while full-screen is active.

Performance

  • Hidden BrowserView tabs now opt into background throttling so inactive pages use less CPU and memory pressure during normal browsing.
  • Background tabs can now be put to sleep automatically under memory pressure, and the Task Manager can manually sleep or wake eligible tabs.

Version Range Summary

  • Start version: 0.0.24
  • Intermediate milestones found in repository history: 0.0.35, 0.0.50
  • End version: 0.1.5

0.0.24 -> 0.0.35

Added

  • Exportable diagnostics and local crash logging were introduced.
  • A documented crash-report workflow was added through Tools > Export Diagnostics Report with a support email contact.
  • Data-Collection-and-Privacy-Notice.md was added to formalize the browser's no-telemetry and no-analytics position.

Updated

  • The installer package advanced from 0.0.24 to 0.0.35 with updated package naming and install instructions.
  • The project README was rewritten around a BrowserView-based tab runtime instead of a generic lightweight-browser description.
  • System requirements were tightened toward Windows 11 x64 packaging.
  • Security documentation was expanded to call out sandboxing, contextIsolation, disabled nodeIntegration, incognito session separation, restricted permissions, and no auto-updater endpoints.

Changed

  • Feature wording was cleaned up for task manager behavior, shortcuts, and packaging details.
  • Manual update guidance was clarified for installer-based upgrades.

Notes

  • An info status file was introduced as a simple project update marker.

0.0.35 -> 0.0.50

Added

  • Download protection for risky file types was added, including optional Windows Defender scan integration after downloads complete.
  • A clear recent downloads action was added to the Downloads window.
  • ARCHITECTURE.md was added to document runtime design, Electron process structure, local storage, diagnostics, and security model.
  • Browser-Privacy-Comparison.md was added to explain privacy posture versus mainstream browsers.
  • SECURITY.md was added with vulnerability reporting guidance and support policy.
  • A privacy-proof section was added to the README to show that diagnostics and browser data remain local unless exported manually.

Updated

  • The main README was renamed from Readme.md to README.md.
  • Installer naming changed to the 0.0.50 setup package format.
  • Install and update instructions were revised to explicitly remove 0.0.35 before installing 0.0.50.
  • Privacy and data-collection documentation links were added to the README.

Fixed

  • A formatting issue in the diagnostics directory helper (ensureDiagnosticsDir) was corrected.

Notes

  • The temporary info file was renamed to UPDATES.
  • The repository became much more documentation-driven in this release, especially around privacy, security, and architecture.

0.0.50 -> 0.1.5

Added

  • bubbles://home became the default home page.
  • Bubbles Search Engine support was added, with background DuckDuckGo results and Google suggestions.
  • Direct URLs and bare domains remained separate from search input in the address bar.
  • Live home-page counters were added for ads blocked, trackers blocked, bookmarks saved, and history count.
  • Ad and tracker request filtering was expanded, including YouTube-focused blocking behavior.
  • Popup-based login compatibility was improved for sign-in flows used by sites such as Google, Twitch, and Facebook.
  • A local-only Music Player window was added with explicit user opt-in before any folder scan begins.
  • Edit menu roles and a shortcut/help guide were added for common browser actions.

Updated

  • Download management messaging was updated to reflect recent-download management.
  • The architecture documentation was rewritten around the real runtime shape: browser-runtime.js, BrowserView tabs, helper windows, popup auth windows, Bubbles home page IPC, and Music Player state.
  • The privacy comparison document was revised to better distinguish local-first behavior from normal web traffic and search-provider traffic.
  • The data collection notice was expanded to document local storage for history, bookmarks, homepage settings, and Music Player settings.
  • Update instructions were generalized to uninstall any older installed version before installing 0.1.5.

Changed

  • The project README shifted from a general browser package description to a release overview centered on search, privacy, popup auth compatibility, and local-only media features.
  • Security documentation now calls out ad and tracker filtering as part of the browser protection model.
  • Privacy language was refined to explicitly state that the browser avoids first-party telemetry while still making normal website and search-provider requests when the user initiates those actions.

Notes

  • The official 0.1.5 release notes describe this release as the point where the browser's identity moved from a general Electron browser package to a branded Bubbles search-and-privacy focused desktop browser.

Overall Changes From 0.0.24 To 0.1.5

Added Across The Range

  • Exportable diagnostics and local crash logging
  • Download protection with Windows Defender integration
  • Privacy, architecture, and security documentation
  • Bubbles Search Engine and default internal home page
  • Ad and tracker filtering with live counters
  • Popup login compatibility improvements
  • Local-only Music Player with explicit opt-in
  • Edit menu roles and shortcut/help coverage

Updated Across The Range

  • Installer naming, packaging language, and upgrade instructions
  • System requirement messaging toward Windows 11 x64
  • README and release documentation quality and depth
  • Privacy disclosures to better reflect actual app behavior

Fixed Across The Range

  • Diagnostics helper formatting issues
  • Login-flow handling around popup-based authentication

Source Basis

This file was reconstructed from:

  • the repository compare history for 0.0.24 -> 0.0.35, 0.0.35 -> 0.0.50, and 0.0.50 -> 0.1.5
  • the in-repo release.md for version 0.1.5
  • the repository's tagged README and documentation diffs