Search, browse,
make it yours.

Get started on Windows

1. Download the Windows x64 installer from Downloads. It supports Windows 10 and 11. Compare its SHA-256 with the published checksum before running it; the release is not code-signed.
2. Open Net Works Browser from the Start menu. Press Ctrl+L, type a website or search, then press Enter.
3. Use the menu's Download Windows installer (.exe) action or the same button on About when you need another copy. Those in-app links use the private GitHub release and require a GitHub account with repository access.

The welcome page has a locally bundled Net Works globe, with Pause/Play and reduced-motion support. It has no installer button. Reopen it from What's new and shortcuts in the menu.

One list, seven search categories

Choose a category beneath the new-tab search box or above your results. Every new category search starts in List. The browser combines readable results from your selected providers; switching categories keeps your query.

Grid and Columns show the providers' own pages, including their playback controls, shopping filters and interactive maps. Choose List to return to combined results. Show more results/images reveals more rows already collected on the page.

Use Settings > Choose engines to choose your providers. Only providers supporting the selected category run. The header's Feeds control changes the number of providers. Type !bing national parks for one engine, or .uk national parks for a country-domain lens.

SafeSearch-off preferences are requested where supported. A provider can still require sign-in, show a verification screen, apply its own restrictions or return unreadable results. Open its source in Grid/Columns to see what happened. This 1.5.0-beta.1 preview defaults to one initial page per engine and adds Load more from engines. It keeps already gathered results when verification is needed. These features do not eliminate provider limits or CAPTCHAs.

Updates and the Windows tray: 1.5 preview

Open Menu > Browser updates to check for a later stable release, download it, and choose Restart and update. Automatic checks can be turned off. Closing the browser alone does not install an update. There is no in-app updater on Linux or macOS; install a new package from Downloads.

The Windows tray icon identifies the running browser. Its tooltip reports whether its window is open or running in the background. Use its menu to show the browser, hide it to the tray, open Browser updates or Quit. Settings > System tray lets you keep the browser running when its window closes; that option is off by default. Exit cleanup runs when the browser quits.

The preview also defaults to one initial result page per engine and adds Load more from engines. It keeps already gathered results when verification is needed. These features do not eliminate provider limits or CAPTCHAs.

The production update feed is not yet published. Public signing and a verified upgrade between signed releases are still required. The 1.5 preview is not a production stable release, and this Windows update mechanism does not update the Android preview.

Choose your theme and toolbar

Click the sun/moon toolbar button to switch light and dark. Settings > Appearance also offers Follow Windows.

Under Settings > Toolbar buttons, show or hide individual icons. Use compact toolbar keeps a smaller set, and Reset toolbar restores the defaults. Hidden controls remain reachable from the menu; Ctrl+, opens Settings.

Proxy, Net Works VPN and Tor

Proxy country popup

Click the proxy country button beside the address bar, choose a country and a saved proxy, then check the reported exit. Use direct connection turns the browser proxy off. Settings > Proxy management opens nw://proxies for saved routes and the public directory. A country label is not proof of the actual exit; use the HTTPS exit check.

Net Works VPN popup

Click VPN, sign in with your Net Works account, select a location and use Turn VPN on/off. An active paid subscription is required; installing the browser does not include free VPN service. Manage your account and devices at Net Works VPN.

Windows may request administrator approval when connecting or disconnecting. The VPN routes the device and can remain on after the browser closes. An account or device-limit error belongs to the VPN account; do not repeatedly register devices to retry it.

Tor popup and purple status

Click Tor for Start Tor, Stop Tor, progress and connection status. Full Tor settings opens nw://tor to configure the bundled client or an existing Tor SOCKS endpoint.

The browser bar and interface turn purple only after a Tor exit check succeeds. A failed connection blocks browsing until recovery or an explicit Stop. Stop also cancels pending verification and restores your saved non-Tor route; an active Net Works VPN remains active.

Tor routing does not give this browser all of Tor Browser's anonymity protections. Normal and Tor browsing currently share cookies and history. Public proxies are also untrusted; an exit-country badge is not an anonymity guarantee.

Privacy, extensions and diagnostics

Settings > Security & Privacy contains tracker and popup controls, third-party cookies, HTTPS-only mode, DNS over HTTPS, fingerprint and WebRTC guards, and history/website-data cleanup. The shield shows blocked requests. nw://popups lets you open a blocked popup once or allow a trusted site.

Camera, microphone, location, notifications and clipboard-read permissions can be reviewed in Settings. Clearing website data signs you out and removes search verification cookies. The Fire control clears browser activity and website data with configured fireproof exceptions; it does not erase downloaded files from your disk.

Open nw://extensions to load an unpacked extension folder containing manifest.json. Use its enable, reload, options and popup controls. Extension API compatibility is limited by Electron; extensions that work in Chrome or Firefox are not guaranteed to work here.

Debugging and diagnostics opens nw://debug: inspect tabs, review process memory/CPU and extension errors, start optional network capture and export redacted diagnostics. F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I opens developer tools. Review diagnostics before sharing them, since visited addresses can still be sensitive.

Tabs, files, bookmarks and downloads

• Ctrl+T opens a tab; Ctrl+W closes it; Ctrl+Shift+T reopens a closed tab. Drag tabs to reorder, or right-click to pin, mute or duplicate.
• Ctrl+O opens a local file. You can also paste its path or drag it onto the tab strip.
• Ctrl+D bookmarks a page. Ctrl+Shift+O opens bookmarks and import controls; Ctrl+Shift+B toggles the bookmarks bar.
• Ctrl+H opens history. Ctrl+J opens nw://downloads and download progress.
• Ctrl+K opens Jump to; Ctrl+F finds text; Ctrl+E opens reader view where available.

Android 0.2.0 development preview

The companion supports Android 8.0 and newer and uses the device's maintained Android System WebView. Its debug APK is about 2.3 MiB; WebView still uses storage and memory separately. Version 0.2.0 has JVM tests and a CI debug build; it has not been re-run on a physical phone. It is not a Play Store release or a public download in this catalog. Contact us about preview access.

Included: an editable address bar; all seven categories starting in List; combined image/results views; Grid/Columns; themes and configurable toolbar icons; bookmarks with desktop JSON import/export; history and downloads. Six providers are available, with up to three loaded sequentially per search. Sources opens the same provider WebView for a manual verification check.

Background tabs save their address or query and reload when selected. They do not retain a separate live page indefinitely. There is no extension support, cross-device sync or automatic desktop feature parity.

The connection popups pair with the existing Net Works VPN Android app and paid account without registering an extra VPN device. Tor uses Orbot; the preview does not bundle a Tor daemon. Purple records a successful exit check, clears when the browser pauses or its connection changes, and is not continuous tunnel monitoring. Real VPN/Orbot routing and physical-device behavior still need validation.

Android downloads use the system DownloadManager. Native downloads are blocked while a browser proxy, VPN or verified Tor route is active. The browser cancels its unfinished downloads before controlled route changes and when it observes VPN activation while its Activity exists. It cannot enforce later route changes after the Activity closes or the process dies. Completed files are preserved.

Diagnostics and optional USB WebView inspection are included; debugging starts disabled even in this debug build. For the current Windows preview, use this site's Downloads page.

When something looks wrong

• Cannot type: press Ctrl+L or Alt+D. Confirm About reports the intended installed version; launching a source copy or an older shortcut can show different behavior.
• Zero or incomplete results: inspect that provider's page in Grid/Columns, check your selected category/providers, and complete any visible verification manually. Provider markup and shared VPN/Tor exits can affect availability.
• No purple Tor bar: read the Tor popup status. Starting the client is not the same as verifying an exit. Stop cancels a pending attempt.
• VPN will not connect: check sign-in, subscription, device allowance and the popup's error. Allow the Windows administrator prompt when making an intended connection change.
• A hidden button or wrong theme: use Settings to restore toolbar defaults and choose Light, Dark or Follow Windows.
• An extension fails: check its status and errors in Extensions/Debugging. Reload that extension after changing its files.
• Installer link denied: the in-app GitHub link needs repository access. Use the public Downloads page when that build is available there, or contact us.

For support, include your version, operating system, category/provider and the visible error. Keep passwords, account tokens and private browsing details out of the report.