Browser
How to install on Windows?
standard version
1.) Download the installer file from iridiumbrowser.de.
2.) Save the .msi file to your computer and open it.
portable version
1.) Download the zip-file and save to your desired location.
2.) Unpack the zip-file.
3.) Open “iridium.exe”, ignore the Defender SmartScreen warning by clicking on “additional information” and click “execute anyway”.
Please note:
Running the Iridium Browser portable version works out of the box. We recommend to create a shortcut using the
--user-data-dir=/IridiumUserData
configuration option to store the user data to a preferred location (like a USB stick, etc.)
How to install on macOS?
1.) Download the installer file from iridiumbrowser.de.
2.) Save the .dmg file to your computer and open it.
Please note:
Iridium Browser is currently signed but not notarized by Apple. Therefore you will need to update your security settings to allow installing Iridium Browser.
In “System Preferences”, click “Security & Privacy”, then click “General”.
Click the “lock” and enter your password to make changes.
Select “App Store and identified developers” under the header “Allow apps downloaded from”.
Further details can be found at Apple support.
How to install on Linux?
Please follow command line instructions on the respective download page.
How to update Iridium Browser?
Iridium Browser does not download and install updates automatically as it would need to call home which is blocked for maximum privacy.
Therefore updates can only be applied manually by downloading and installing the latest build. This will not affect settings or saved bookmarks.
Use chrome://version to check your build version. Latest build versions can always be found in the download section.
It is recommended to add the RSS feed in order to get information about the latest releases.
Why is Qwant the default search engine?
Iridium Browser is an independent project, not connected to, supported or financed by any search engine.
The decision for Qwant as default search engine was made in 2015/03, when we were looking for a European search engine taking care of privacy and delivering good search results presented in a modern interface. At the time, Qwant (see Qwant’s privacy policy) and DuckDuckGo (see DuckDuckGo’s privacy policy) were on our radar, but Qwant simply impressed us more.
However, you are free to use any search engine with Iridium Browser.
Why syncing and signing in to Google does not work?
While not directly intentional, it kind of defeats the purpose of Iridium Browser if you are signed into Google and report everything to them. From a technical point of view, signing in to Google requires a Google API key, client ID and client secret.
Iridium Browser does not ship with one — therefore it does not work. If you insist to use Google sign-in, check Chromium API keys and follow the instructions for Providing Keys at Runtime.
Why is Google Safe Browsing enabled by default?
Iridium Browser has Google Safe Browsing enabled by default. This means within 5 minutes after start and then periodically approximately every 30 minutes, requests to iridiumbrowser.de (keeps a cache of the GSB data) as well as safebrowsing.googleapis.com (source) are made to update the safe browsing database.
You can disable it at any time in the settings by unchecking “Privacy -> Protect you and your device from dangerous sites” (advanced settings) to avoid this request.
What are the differences between Iridium and Chromium?
Please refer to our Wiki on GitHub.
Is Iridium Browser available for Android or iOS?
Iridium Browser is currently not available for Android, iOS or any other mobile OS.
Is Iridium Browser open source?
Iridium Browser is both open and libre, and does not use any proprietary components. Check out the source code.
How is the Iridium Browser source code licensed?
As the Iridium Browser is based on Chromium, the same license applies. Chromium consists of many parts and each carries its own license. By entering chrome://credits into the address bar, all components are listed and their license can be viewed.
Extensions
Why do extensions not update automatically and why does the extension panel not fully work?
Updating the extensions automatically does not work, as it would require a connection to the Chrome Web Store. This is also the reason why the extensions panel at chrome://extensions does not fully work — disabling/enabling (check box) and removing (trash can) will not work. Also, all extensions will show a ‘Not from Chrome Web Store’ note, even if downloaded from there.
Update any extensions manually by downloading and installing the latest version. Click on the extension icon next to the address bar to access options or to remove any extension.
You may want to backup your extensions settings before updating and reinsert these once updates have been installed. The settings can be found in Windows at C:\Users\%user%\AppData\Local\Iridium\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings.
How to access or remove an extension from the browser?
In Iridium Browser the extension panel does not fully work, therefore you will need to (right-)click the extension icon next to the address bar. This will get you access to all options and to remove an extension by clicking on ‘Remove from browser’.
Why do certain extensions do not work in Iridium Browser?
Certain extensions do not work due to Iridium Browser’s privacy and security settings. Furthermore, some extensions are unable to verify Iridium Browser for the same reason.
If installing via the Chrome Web Store does not work, please downlaod the *.crx file and try to install manually.
Iridium Browser does not test any extensions and therefore does not block or allow certain extensions by default other than by its privacy and security standards.
Why do some audio / video players do not work in Iridium Browser?
Iridium Browser does not include all audio and video codecs or extensions that are in Chrome.
This has many reasons, for instance, some codecs or extensions are proprietary and do not disclose their source code, and sometimes, there are legal issues as well. If you have any issues with audio or video, please try to install the codec or extension manually or from chrome://extensions.
This means that the Widevine extension, required by, amongst others, Amazon Video, Disney+, iTunes, Netflix, YouTube and other DRM extensions will not work, as they do not comply with our privacy standards.