Summary of "I Tried The Internet's Favorite Browser... I Get It Now."

Overview

The video is a first-hand, “try-to-find-the-best” review of Zen Browser, framed around the idea that there may not be a single objectively “best” browser.

Context: Searching for a “Best Browser”

The speaker says they’ve tried multiple mainstream browsers (e.g., Brave, Firefox) and found the biggest differences to be:
- Privacy level
- Tinkerable settings
They reference a Reddit “browser battle royale” vote where Zen beat Firefox by about 2,500 votes, which motivated the speaker to test Zen themselves.

Initial UX Differences (What Stands Out)

Left-side tabs instead of the conventional top tab bar, requiring “brain rewiring.”
The search bar isn’t at the top:
- It appears in the sidebar initially.
New tab experience is presented as “calmer”:
- Search is shown immediately
- The new tab page avoids clutter like news feeds/sponsors/ads (unlike some browsers such as Edge/Opera).

Key Built-in Tab / Pinning Features

Essentials / pinned tabs area
- Tabs can be pinned so frequently used sites become “single click away.”
- An additional section (called Spaces) supports other pinned categories (e.g., later-needed pages / bookmark-like behavior).
Drag-and-drop into sidebar to pin.
Compact mode toggle
- Sidebar slides away to reclaim space
- Sidebar reappears on hover.
Sidebar media controls
- Includes a media player area for playback controls (e.g., YouTube/background music).

Navigation / Workflow Enhancements: “Glance View”

Clicking certain links (e.g., tracking/order links) opens a new window overlay instead of spawning a new tab.
Zen calls this “Glance view” for pages you only need to quickly check.
The Glance UI includes:
- Close
- Expand (open as a tab)
- An additional feature discovered by the speaker.

Split View / Tiling Inside the Browser

The “unknown” Glance button triggers split view:
- The browser can show up to four tabs in a single window.
- Tabs are arranged like tiling window managers.
Result: less chaotic tab management—no need to drag tabs into separate windows just to keep multiple pages visible.

Privacy / Security Review (Firefox-based, but Different)

Zen is described as based on Firefox’s codebase, but with notable privacy changes:
1. No hidden data collection/telemetry section (unlike Firefox).
2. Zen’s privacy policy reportedly indicates it removed telemetry built into Firefox.
“Do Not Track” is enabled by default.
- The speaker discusses fingerprinting concerns: sites can identify users via signals beyond cookies.
- fingerprint.com is referenced as an example of what can be collected (e.g., IP/location/VPN-aware signals and even the DNT preference).
Speaker’s conclusion: Zen appears less interested in collecting user data than Firefox.

Streaming Limitation (Major Deal-breaker Analysis)

Zen cannot stream DRM-protected media on services like:
- Netflix
- Spotify
Explanation provided:
- Streaming DRM licenses are tied to platforms:
  - Widevine (Google)
  - PlayReady (Microsoft)
  - FairPlay (Apple)
- Zen lacks the needed DRM component on non-Linux platforms (speaker claims it doesn’t have Widevine).
Possible workaround:
- On Linux, the issue may be bypassed because Widevine is included/built into Linux code via Google’s components.
Verdict shift:
- On Windows/macOS: Netflix/Spotify failure is framed as a deal-breaker for many.
- On Linux: the speaker calls Zen a strong candidate for a daily browser.

Mods / Customization (Tutorial-style Highlights)

Zen supports “mods” (similar spirit to extensions, but described as mod packages) from a community.
Mods are described as:
- One-click installation
- Customizable visuals and functionality via themes and CSS-like changes
Example functional mods:
- Better find bar
  - Shorter and centered (instead of full width).
- Unload indicator
  - Unloaded tabs grey out, making it clear which tabs consume resources and can be manually unloaded.
- Superpins (favorite)
  - Custom pinned tabs layout (“Essentials”) with options like size, spacing, and centered text.
  - Keeps pinned areas stable while scrolling through many tabs.

Overall Conclusion

The speaker’s praise is described as “near crystal clear”:
- Zen is a meaningful evolution in both visuals and workflow, especially:
  - Sidebar-first UI
  - Pinned essentials
  - Compact mode
  - Glance view
  - Split view
The catch:
- DRM streaming on Netflix/Spotify fails on Windows/macOS, reducing viability for many users unless they use Linux.

Main Speakers / Sources

Main speaker: the video creator/reviewer (unnamed in subtitles).
External sources referenced:
- r/browser (Reddit “browser battle royale” voting for Firefox vs Zen)
- Zen official website (installer and product page)
- Firefox privacy/telemetry behavior (contrasted with Zen)
- Make (sponsor): referenced as an example visual automation platform
- fingerprint.com: referenced for fingerprinting/tracking capability claims
- DRM providers: Widevine (Google), PlayReady (Microsoft), FairPlay (Apple)