Yandex Browser
A Chromium browser with Yandex's own services, translation and dubbing features, and an integrated assistant, strongest in Russian-speaking markets.
Published by Yandex (Russia) · Verified
Runs on
- macOSmacOS: Available
- WindowsWindows: Available
- LinuxLinux: Available
- AndroidAndroid: Available
- iOSiOS: Available
Choose it when
Choose Yandex Browser when you use Yandex's services and want its translation and dubbing features integrated rather than bolted on.
Avoid it when
Avoid it when the jurisdiction of the vendor matters to your threat model, or when you want a browser with a documented telemetry position.
Quick answers
Read straight off the verified record - every one of these is expanded with its source below.
- Which platforms does Yandex Browser run on?
- Documented on macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.
- Can I install Chrome extensions?
- Yes - the Chrome Web Store is supported.
- Does it block trackers out of the box?
- Yes - tracker or ad blocking is on by default. Protection features against tracking are 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 with ongoing desktop and mobile releases.
What Yandex Browser does
Open any row for the wording and the source behind it
Privacy and tracking
1 built in · 3 undocumented
Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Built in
Protection features against tracking are documented.
- Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Unknown
- Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Unknown
- Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unknown
Private windowsAn incognito mode is available that does not retain local browsing history.
An incognito mode is available that does not retain local browsing history.
- Default search engineYandex
Extensions and blocking
2 built in · 1 not available · 2 undocumented
- Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Supported
- Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Unsupported
Native content blockingNative content blocking: Built in
Built-in blocking features are documented.
Manifest V3Manifest V3: Unknown
Manifest version support is not documented.
Manifest V2Manifest V2: Unknown
Manifest version support is not documented.
Known limitationsExtension behaviour follows Chromium, but the vendor does not document manifest support separately.
Extension behaviour follows Chromium, but the vendor does not document manifest support separately.
Workflow
6 built in · 5 not available
- Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Unavailable
- Tab treesTab trees: Unavailable
- Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Unavailable
ProfilesProfiles: Built in
Profiles or equivalent browser identities are available.
- Split viewSplit view: Unavailable
SidebarSidebar: Built in
A sidebar is documented.
Reader modeReader mode: Built in
Reader mode is documented with a keyboard shortcut and in web-app windows.
- Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
Sync across devicesSync across devices: Built in
Account sync is documented.
TranslationTranslation: Built in
Page translation and video dubbing are documented features.
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
The Alice assistant is integrated.
Page summarisationPage summarisation: Built in
Summarisation features are documented.
Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Built in
An Alice agent mode is documented booking, shopping, and researching on the user's behalf.
AI answer engineAI answer engine: Built in
Assistant-backed answers are documented.
- Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Unavailable
Text or image generationText or image generation: Built in
Alice text editing and in-browser image generation are documented.
- Choice of modelChoice of model: Unavailable
- Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Unavailable
Voice or image inputVoice or image input: Built in
Voice interaction is documented.
On a phone
3 built in · 7 undocumented
Undocumented is not the same as absent - it means the publisher does not state it.
Extensions on mobileExtensions on mobile: Built in
The Android app can install Chrome Web Store extensions.
Can be the phone defaultCan be the phone default: Built in
Can be set as the platform default browser.
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: Built in
A download manager is 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 Yandex or platform app store.
- Hardware support
- Desktop builds target 64-bit hardware.
Active. Actively developed with ongoing desktop and mobile releases.
Editorial view
Yandex Browser is a full Chromium browser on every major platform, and it is the default choice for a large number of Russian-speaking users. macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS builds are all official, it renders with Chromium and V8, and it supports the Chrome Web Store, so compatibility broadly tracks Chrome.
What distinguishes it
Service integration, and one feature nobody else ships.
- Yandex search is the default, and the Alice assistant is built in with summaries, AI answers, and voice
- Page translation comes with video dubbing: spoken audio in videos gets translated, which no mainstream Chromium build offers
- An Alice agent mode is documented booking, shopping, and researching on the user's behalf, plus text editing and image generation
- A sidebar, account sync, reader mode, and a mobile download manager round it out
The privacy record
Deliberately sparse, because the vendor documentation is. Tracking protection and built-in blocking are documented, and incognito does not retain local history. Telemetry posture, fingerprinting resistance, and any bundled VPN are all unknown, recorded that way rather than filled in from Chromium's behaviour or from assumptions about the vendor in either direction.
The jurisdiction question
A browser encyclopedia should state this directly rather than leave it implied. Yandex is a Russian company, and for some readers the jurisdiction of the organisation that ships their browser, receives their default search queries, and operates their sync account is a real part of the decision. That is not a claim that any specific harm is documented; none is recorded here. It is a statement that jurisdiction is a legitimate input to browser choice, the same way Google's advertising business is when evaluating Chrome. Weigh it according to your situation.
The verdict
Choose it for the service integration and the translation and dubbing features, which are real and well documented. Look elsewhere if you want a documented telemetry position, or if vendor jurisdiction weighs against it for you. Extension behaviour follows Chromium, though manifest support is not documented separately, and the iOS build renders with WebKit like every iPhone browser. Desktop builds target 64-bit hardware and install from Yandex directly or through the platform stores.
Where these facts come from
Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 5 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.
- Yandex Browser official siteVerified
Product scope, platform availability, and feature naming.
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