Iridium Browser

Iridium Browser is a browser based on the Chromium code base, changed so that partial queries, keywords and metrics are not sent to central services without consent.

Iridium states that Google sign-in and sync are blocked on purpose, that Qwant has been the default search engine since 2015, and that the browser never updates itself because that would mean calling home. All changes are visible in a public Git repository and Iridium describes its builds as reproducible. Version 2026.08.151.2, based on Chromium 151.0.7922.137, was published as source code on 13 August 2026.

Iridium Browser is a project of Red Cool Beans UG, whose legal notice gives Rönsahler Str. 27, 51069 Cologne, Germany. Iridium's FAQ says the company has no connection to search engines or large technology corporations.

Iridium has no single licence of its own: the FAQ explains that Chromium consists of many parts, each with its own licence, viewable at chrome://credits. Google Safe Browsing remains enabled by default and can be disabled. Iridium names no certification and does not describe how the project is funded on the pages checked.

Iridium Browser is free. The Iridium homepage states that the browser is only available as source code tarballs and encourages maintainers to build their own packages, while the FAQ still mentions installers and portable versions, so the two pages disagree.

The FAQ also warns that the extensions panel does not fully work. Iridium Browser suits administrators and distribution packagers who can build and update Chromium themselves. Iridium Browser does not suit ordinary users who expect a download button and automatic updates, and Iridium states that it is not available for Android or iOS.

What Iridium Browser does well

• Full source in a public Git repository, with builds described as reproducible
• Google sign-in and sync are blocked by design
• Qwant, a European search engine, has been the default since 2015
• Red Cool Beans UG publishes a German legal notice with a Cologne address
• Release of 13 August 2026 is based on Chromium 151

Where Iridium Browser falls short

• The homepage states that Iridium is only available as source code tarballs
• No automatic updates; users check the version and update by hand
• The FAQ says the extensions panel does not fully work and extensions need manual updates
• Not available for Android, iOS or any other mobile system

Standout feature. Iridium Browser refuses to call home even for its own updates, which makes every connection auditable and leaves building and patching entirely to the person installing it.