Verified Sep 2026

ActiveChromium engine 24/30 documented

Shift

A Chromium workspace browser for running multiple accounts and web applications side by side under separate identities.

Published by Shift Technologies (Canada) · Verified September 2026

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Runs on

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

Choose it when

Choose Shift when you juggle several accounts of the same service daily and constant signing in and out is a genuine tax on your work.

Avoid it when

Avoid it if browser profiles already solve your account separation, or if you are unwilling to pay for what profiles do free.

Quick answers

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

Which platforms does Shift run on?: Documented on macOS and Windows. Not available on Android and iOS.
Can I install Chrome extensions?: Yes - the Chrome Web Store is supported.
Does it block trackers out of the box?: Not documented by the publisher. Default blocking behaviour is not documented.
Does it have built-in AI features?: Yes - 6 of 9 documented AI capabilities are built in.
Is it open source?: Proprietary browser built on open-source Chromium
Is it still being developed?: Active - Actively developed and sold with free and paid tiers.

What Shift 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
Default blocking behaviour is not documented.
Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Unknown
Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Unknown
Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unavailable
Private windowsA private mode is available, inherited from the Chromium base.
A private mode is available, inherited from the Chromium base.
Default search engineConfigurable

Extensions and blocking

2 built in · 2 not available · 1 undocumented

Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Supported
Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Unsupported
Native content blockingNative content blocking: Unavailable
Manifest V3Manifest V3: Built in
Chromium extension support is present.
Manifest V2Manifest V2: Unknown
Manifest policy is not documented separately.
Known limitationsExtension behaviour follows the Chromium base.
Extension behaviour follows the Chromium base.

Workflow

7 built in · 3 not available · 1 undocumented

Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Built in
The layout builder supports a vertical tab strip.
Tab treesTab trees: Unavailable
Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Built in
Workspaces are the organising concept of the product.
ProfilesProfiles: Built in
Multiple account identities are a core feature.
Split viewSplit view: Unavailable
SidebarSidebar: Built in
An application sidebar is part of the interface.
Reader modeReader mode: Unknown
Reader mode is not documented.
Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
Sync across devicesSync across devices: Built in
Account sync across machines 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 not available

Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Built in
Shift AI is documented as a context-aware assistant launched from the omnibox.
Page summarisationPage summarisation: Built in
Summarising long webpages and videos is documented.
Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Unavailable
AI answer engineAI answer engine: Built in
Context-aware AI search and chat from the omnibox is documented.
Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Built in
Shift AI is described as understanding context across tabs and pages.
Text or image generationText or image generation: Built in
Drafting replies and other write-in-place tasks are documented.
Choice of modelChoice of model: Unavailable
Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Built in
Shift AI can be disabled in settings, and chats route through a privacy proxy.
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: Not applicable
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: Proprietary browser built on open-source Chromium
Install method: Direct download from the vendor.
Hardware support: Desktop builds target current 64-bit hardware.

Source repository

Active. Actively developed and sold with free and paid tiers.

Editorial view

Shift is built for a specific and real problem: people who run several accounts of the same service and spend a meaningful part of the day signing in and out, or maintaining a browser profile per client. Rather than treating tabs as the unit of organisation, it treats accounts and web applications as the unit, keeping each identity separate and letting you move between them directly.

The product

Chromium underneath, so rendering and Chrome Web Store extensions behave normally. Desktop builds exist for macOS and Windows, Linux is not clearly documented, and there is no mobile build. Workspaces, multiple account identities, an application sidebar, a vertical tab layout, and account sync across machines are the core feature set. Shift AI adds an omnibox assistant with page and video summarisation, drafting, and cross-tab context, and it can be turned off in settings, with chats routed through a privacy proxy.

The fair comparison

Not against a plain browser but against Chromium profiles, which already separate accounts free in Chrome, Edge, Brave, and every other Chromium build. Profiles genuinely work: separate cookies, sessions, extensions. What they do not provide is the workflow layer: quick switching organised around applications rather than windows, a consistent sidebar of your services, and an interface that assumes multiple identities rather than treating them as an advanced feature.

That is the actual question. If switching profiles a few times a day is a minor annoyance, profiles are sufficient and free. If you manage many accounts across many services and the friction costs real time, the workflow layer is what you are paying for, and it may well be worth it.

The privacy record

Thin, and it should temper enthusiasm somewhat. Telemetry posture, default blocking, and fingerprinting resistance are all unknown, and no native content blocker is bundled. For a product that sits between you and a large number of logged-in accounts, a documented telemetry position would be reassuring. Extensions can supply blocking, as with any Chromium browser.

The verdict

Choose Shift if multi-account management is genuinely a daily tax and you will use the organisation it provides. Stay with profiles if your needs are lighter, and treat the subscription as buying workflow rather than capability that does not otherwise exist.

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.

Shift browser official site
Product scope and workspace feature naming.
Verified Sep 2026

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