Verified Sep 2026

ActiveChromium engine 24/30 documented

Dia

An early Chromium-based browser experiment that places AI-assisted tasks inside the browsing workflow.

Published by The Browser Company (United States) · Verified September 2026

Visit official site Find alternatives

Runs on

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

Choose it when

Choose Dia only to evaluate an early AI-centered browsing workflow and provide feedback, not as a stable default for critical work.

Avoid it when

Avoid it when predictable privacy boundaries, broad platform support, mature extensions, or long-term compatibility are required.

Quick answers

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

Which platforms does Dia run on?: No platform in this record documents a current Dia build.
Can I install Chrome extensions?: Partly - Chrome Web Store support is conditional.
Does it block trackers out of the box?: Not documented by the publisher. No stable blocker policy is asserted for the experimental product.
Does it have built-in AI features?: Yes - 6 of 9 documented AI capabilities are built in.
Is it open source?: Chromium base with proprietary Dia interface and AI services
Is it still being developed?: Active - Generally available for macOS with frequent releases and paid plans; Windows support is in progress.

What Dia does

Open any row for the wording and the source behind it

Privacy and tracking

1 not available · 3 undocumented

Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Unknown
No stable blocker policy is asserted for the experimental product.
Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Unknown
Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Unknown
AI products can process prompts and page context; consult Dia's current privacy documentation.
Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unavailable
No general browser VPN is included.
Private windowsPrivate mode, where available, should not be treated as protection from AI-service processing or network observation.
Private mode, where available, should not be treated as protection from AI-service processing or network observation.
Default search engineConfigurable

Extensions and blocking

1 built in · 1 partial · 2 not available · 1 undocumented

Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Partial
Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Unsupported
Native content blockingNative content blocking: Unknown
Manifest V3Manifest V3: Built in
Chromium-based Manifest V3 support is expected, subject to release behavior.
Manifest V2Manifest V2: Unavailable
Dia's release notes state Manifest V2 extensions are disabled.
Known limitationsDo not migrate a critical extension workflow without testing the current build.
Do not migrate a critical extension workflow without testing the current build.

Workflow

6 built in · 2 partial · 2 not available · 1 undocumented

Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Built in
Dia uses a redesigned, sidebar-oriented tab workflow.
Tab treesTab trees: Unavailable
Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Unknown
Workspace behavior is subject to the current product scope.
ProfilesProfiles: Built in
Profiles with quick switching are documented.
Split viewSplit view: Built in
Split panes are documented, opened from the View menu or a shortcut.
SidebarSidebar: Built in
The browsing interface is sidebar-oriented.
Reader modeReader mode: Available by extension
Reader mode is available through an extension.
Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
The address-bar AI surface is not a command palette for browser actions.
Sync across devicesSync across devices: Minimal or opt-in
Opt-in sync is documented.
TranslationTranslation: Built in
A built-in translation feature is documented.
Progressive web appsProgressive web apps: Built in
Progressive web apps are supported by the Chromium install flow.

AI features

6 built in · 3 undocumented

Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Built in
Dia provides a built-in assistant surface.
Page summarisationPage summarisation: Built in
Dia documents page or multi-tab summarisation.
Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Unknown
Dia documents Skills and agent systems but does not document the assistant clicking or filling forms on a page.
AI answer engineAI answer engine: Built in
Dia documents AI-assisted answers in search or the address bar.
Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Built in
Dia documents awareness of multiple tabs or history.
Text or image generationText or image generation: Built in
Dia documents text or image generation.
Choice of modelChoice of model: Unknown
Model selection is not documented.
Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Built in
Dia documents retention, training or kill-switch controls.
Voice or image inputVoice or image input: Unknown
Voice or image interaction is not documented.

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: stable
Code and licence: Chromium base with proprietary Dia interface and AI services
Install method: Official product download.
Hardware support: Desktop builds target Apple silicon hardware.

Source repository

Active. Generally available for macOS with frequent releases and paid plans; Windows support is in progress.

Editorial view

Dia is what The Browser Company built after Arc, and it answers a different question. Arc reorganised tabs; Dia puts an AI assistant inside the browsing session and makes that the product. What it deliberately is not, so far, is autonomous: it does not click around pages on your behalf the way Comet's agent does.

The AI surface

Chat sits beside the page; summarisation and AI answers are first-class
Writing tools generate text, and the assistant sees across your open tabs
The company documents retention and training controls for all of it
Skills extend what it can do

The practical footprint

Narrow. Dia is generally available for Apple silicon Macs on macOS 14 or later, with weekly releases and paid plans; Intel Macs are out, Windows is in progress, and there is no Linux or mobile. Under the AI it is Chromium and V8, so pages render normally. Chrome Web Store support is partial, Manifest V3 works, and Manifest V2 extensions are disabled.

The browser around the assistant

It has grown into a real one. Split panes tile pages, profiles with quick switching ship, sync is opt-in, the sidebar-oriented layout handles tabs vertically, translation and web apps work. There is no command palette for browser actions, and reader mode needs an extension.

The judgment call

It is about the AI, and it deserves stating plainly: an assistant that reads your pages is a data-flow decision, not just a feature. Dia documents its privacy controls better than most in this category, but telemetry and default blocking remain unrecorded here, search is configurable, and there is no VPN. Do not treat private mode as protection from AI-service processing; read the current terms before feeding it anything sensitive.

The verdict

Choose Dia if you want summarise-and-draft AI woven into browsing on a Mac, with the maker's full attention, which Arc no longer gets. Choose Comet if you want an agent that acts rather than advises, and a conventional browser if the whole premise makes you uneasy, which is a defensible reading. Keep consequential accounts in a browser whose assistant cannot see them; that advice costs nothing and covers the category's main risk.

Where these facts come from

Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 6 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.

Dia official product page
Product availability and workflow scope.
Verified Sep 2026

If this is not it

Alternatives to Dia

Head to head

Reviewed comparisons featuring Dia

Comet vs Dia
Both put an assistant at the centre of the browser; Comet leans on Perplexity's answer engine, while Dia is closer to a writing and tab-context companion.
Compare head-to-head