Verified Sep 2026

ActiveChromium engine 28/30 documented

Chromium

The open-source upstream project behind many browsers, useful for testing and a self-managed browser setup.

Published by The Chromium Authors (International) · Verified September 2026

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Runs on

macOSmacOS: Partial
WindowsWindows: Partial
LinuxLinux: Available
AndroidAndroid: Available
iOSiOS: Unavailable

Choose it when

Choose Chromium for development, testing, or a self-managed open-source browser base when you understand packaging and update responsibilities.

Avoid it when

Avoid it as a casual Chrome replacement if you need an official consumer support channel, seamless sync, or turnkey privacy features.

Quick answers

Read straight off the verified record - every one of these is expanded with its source below.

Which platforms does Chromium run on?: Documented on Linux and Android. Not available on iOS.
Can I install Chrome extensions?: Partly - Chrome Web Store support is conditional.
Does it block trackers out of the box?: No - nothing blocks trackers by default. No general tracker blocker is included upstream.
Does it have built-in AI features?: No AI capability in this record is documented as built in.
Is it open source?: Open source under Chromium's collection of licenses
Is it still being developed?: Active - Active upstream project; end-user packaging and support are distribution-dependent.

What Chromium does

Open any row for the wording and the source behind it

Privacy and tracking

2 not available · 2 undocumented

Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Unavailable
No general tracker blocker is included upstream.
Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Unknown
No broad hardened fingerprinting posture is claimed.
Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Unknown
Chromium upstream does not equal Chrome's service configuration; packaging determines telemetry.
Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unavailable
No browser VPN is included.
Private windowsIncognito is a local privacy mode and does not anonymize network activity.
Incognito is a local privacy mode and does not anonymize network activity.
Default search engineConfigurable

Extensions and blocking

1 built in · 1 partial · 3 not available

Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Partial
Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Unsupported
Native content blockingNative content blocking: Unavailable
No general content blocker is included upstream.
Manifest V3Manifest V3: Built in
Chromium supports the current Manifest V3 model.
Manifest V2Manifest V2: Unavailable
Manifest V2 support has been removed from current Chromium releases.
Known limitationsThe upstream project does not promise Chrome Web Store account or policy integration.
The upstream project does not promise Chrome Web Store account or policy integration.

Workflow

6 built in · 5 not available

Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Built in
The native vertical tab strip lives in the shared Chromium UI code.
Tab treesTab trees: Unavailable
Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Unavailable
ProfilesProfiles: Built in
Profiles or equivalent browser identities are available.
Split viewSplit view: Built in
Native Split View lives in the shared Chromium UI code.
SidebarSidebar: Built in
The Chromium side panel is a first-class UI surface.
Reader modeReader mode: Built in
Chromium reader mode is available in supported builds.
Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
Sync across devicesSync across devices: Unavailable
Chrome account sync is not an upstream Chromium guarantee.
TranslationTranslation: Unavailable
Google translation is not an upstream guarantee.
Progressive web appsProgressive web apps: Built in
Chromium web-app installation is supported.

AI features

9 not available

Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Unavailable
Page summarisationPage summarisation: Unavailable
Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Unavailable
AI answer engineAI answer engine: Unavailable
Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Unavailable
Text or image generationText or image generation: Unavailable
Choice of modelChoice of model: Unavailable
Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Unavailable
Voice or image inputVoice or image input: Unavailable

On a phone

10 undocumented

Undocumented is not the same as absent - it means the publisher does not state it.

Extensions on mobileExtensions on mobile: Unknown
Extension support on mobile is not documented.
Can be the phone defaultCan be the phone default: Unknown
Default-browser capability is not documented.
Biometric lockBiometric lock: Unknown
Biometric locking is not documented.
Offline readingOffline reading: Unknown
Offline reading is not documented.
Desktop-site modeDesktop-site mode: Unknown
Desktop-site mode is not documented.
Download managerDownload manager: Unknown
A built-in download manager is not documented.
Background playbackBackground playback: Unknown
Background or picture-in-picture playback is not documented.
Web pushWeb push: Unknown
Web push support is not documented.
Data saverData saver: Unknown
Address-bar placementAddress-bar placement: Unknown
Address-bar placement is not documented.

Under the hood

Rendering engine: Chromium
JavaScript engine: V8
Upstream project: Chromium
Release channel: rolling
Code and licence: Open source under Chromium's collection of licenses
Install method: Operating-system package, distribution build, or source build.
Hardware support: Build and package support depend on the target and distributor.

Source repository

Active. Active upstream project; end-user packaging and support are distribution-dependent.

Editorial view

Chromium is the upstream project, not a product, and most people who think they want it actually want something built from it. It is the open-source codebase that Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera, and half this directory compile into browsers. You can run it directly, and on Linux distributions that package it well, plenty of people do. But nobody is selling you a finished experience, and the gaps are exactly the pieces Google keeps for Chrome.

Concretely

Linux distributions package it commonly; Android builds exist through vendor channels
macOS and Windows have builds without a single official consumer installer, which is why those platforms read as partial
There is no iOS Chromium
Sync and translation are Google services and therefore absent or unreliable here
No default search engine until you set one, no tracker blocker, no VPN, and telemetry depends entirely on who built your package

What you do get

The current engine with its current interface: Blink and V8, the native vertical tab strip, split view, the side panel, reader mode, profiles, and web-app installs, all in the shared UI code. Chrome Web Store access works partially depending on the build, Manifest V3 is the platform, and Manifest V2 is gone from current releases.

When it makes sense

The reason to run Chromium is specific: web development and testing against the engine itself, distribution packaging, or a deliberately self-managed base where you control what gets added. The reason not to is the same list read backwards. Update cadence depends on your distributor, and Chromium ships security fixes so frequently that a stale package is a real liability, not a theoretical one.

The verdict

If you want Chromium minus Google's services as a daily browser, ungoogled-chromium applies that intent with actual patches, and Helium adds blocking on top. If you want a finished product, every major fork in this directory is one. Choose plain Chromium when you can name the reason; if you cannot, that is the answer. Developers testing rendering behaviour get exactly the engine with none of the vendor layer, which is the one job where every gap listed above becomes a feature.

Where these facts come from

Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 2 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.

Chromium project home
Upstream project scope.
Verified Sep 2026

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