A local-first new tab for Chrome, Brave, Arc, Edge, Firefox, and Zen.
Curated reading, an offline article reader, a tab workspace, a Pomodoro timer, and procedural focus audio — without an account or a Cove server.
Install · Documentation · Screenshots · Privacy · Security · Changelog
Cove v0.1.3 · Apache-2.0 · pre-1.0, usable today · manual install while store packaging is on the roadmap
Cove is a free, open-source browser new tab that combines a quiet workspace, a local-first RSS newsroom, an offline article reader, and focus tools in one Manifest V3 extension. It is built with Svelte 5 and TypeScript, stores its data in your browser profile, and does not require an account, a subscription, or a Cove sync service.
Most start pages are built to keep you there. Cove is built to get you where you were going: a clock, search, the handful of links you actually use, a small reading room, and a focus timer. Discover aggregates 11 curated RSS/Atom sources plus 3 keyless public APIs, ranks stories with an on-device model, and caches up to 120 full articles for offline reading.
Cove is not a cloud RSS service, does not bypass paywalls, and does not claim to be the smallest extension ever shipped. It is a deliberately constrained local tool with a documented network ledger and a 170 KB code budget.
Quick answer: Cove is a calm, local-first new tab extension for Chromium and Firefox that replaces the default start page with a workspace, reader, and focus sanctuary. No account. No analytics. No Cove server. Apache-2.0.
| Product | Browser new tab / workspace / RSS reader / focus timer |
| Status | v0.1.3, pre-1.0 — every feature described here ships today |
| Browsers | Chrome, Brave, Arc, Edge · Firefox 140+, Zen |
| Runtime | 166.2 KB gzipped JS + CSS at v0.1.3, enforced 170 KB budget |
| Data | chrome.storage.local + IndexedDB; JSON export and import |
| Privacy | No account, no analytics, no Cove server; complete network ledger |
| License | Apache-2.0 — free to use, inspect, modify, and self-build |
| Install | GitHub Releases — not on a store yet |
Browser start pages tend to make the same trade: your first three seconds become inventory, or basic widgets become a subscription, or a reading app becomes an unread-count inbox in another tab.
Cove takes a different position:
- One surface, local state. The workspace, reading queue, tab sessions, and focus state share one local store. No account sprawl, no sync service, no dashboard analytics.
- Reading is first-class, not a feed counter. Discover shows a finite set of published sources, extracts article prose locally, and keeps cached articles readable offline.
- Focus tools belong in the start page. Pomodoro, a site blocker, five procedural soundscapes, and four Focus Sound modes are included — with no audio files and no subscription.
- Small is a feature, not a slogan. The runtime code is measured on every build. If a dependency pushes it past 170 KB gzipped, CI fails.
| The new tab — Midnight Dark | Cove Discover — a two-pane newsroom |
|---|---|
|
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| Focus Sanctuary | Sound Sanctuary |
 |
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| Settings Studio | Alabaster Light |
 |
 |
- Four spatial stages — Bento Dashboard (
1), Ambient Home (2), Focus Sanctuary (3), and Pure Stillness (4). - Bento widgets — quick links, tab triage, notes, focus, read later, RSS, weather, clock, countdown, and a sandboxed embed. Resize, hide, pin, and reorder them.
- Tab triage and sessions — find duplicate domains, stale tabs, audible tabs, and common unread badges. Save a window as a named session without closing anything. Memory figures are clearly labelled estimates.
- Search that answers — bangs (
!g,!ddg,!gh,!yt,!w,!mdn), arithmetic, percentages, unit conversions, world time, hex colours, and quick commands such asfocus 45. - Command palette —
Cmd/Ctrl+Kto reach tabs, sessions, notes, read-later items, stages, themes, and sound modes.
- 11 curated RSS/Atom sources across tech, world, science, engineering, design, and business.
- 3 keyless public APIs — Spaceflight News, DEV.to, and Hacker News Algolia. Add any custom RSS/Atom URL yourself.
- On-device ranking — an 18-hour freshness half-life, explicit topic choices, learned topic/source/keyword affinity, community points, unread state, and a diversity pass. Deterministic, local, and inspectable.
- Feedback you can feel — brief, full read, more/less like this. The profile lives in
chrome.storage.localand is included in your backup. - Offline cache — the feed plus up to 120 extracted articles in IndexedDB, with stale-while-revalidate refresh.
- Local article extraction strips scripts, navigation, and surrounding clutter.
- Story briefs give a summary and key points before you commit to the full read.
- Serif/sans typography, Glass/Paper/Ink surfaces, reading progress, and optional calm-reading audio.
- No paywall bypass. If a publisher blocks extraction or requires a login, Cove links to the original.
- Read Later saves a page from the context menu, toolbar command, or palette, and can render it offline.
- Pomodoro with configurable work/break durations, intentions, history, streaks, and daily completions.
- Site blocker using
declarativeNetRequest, for focus sessions, work hours, or both. It is a friction tool, not parental control or a security boundary. - Five procedural textures — rain, café room tone, velvet noise, waves, and pine wind. No audio files are bundled.
- Four Focus Sound modes — Deep Work, Creative Flow, Calm Reading, and Recharge, each with its own procedural chord, modulation character, and texture blend. A speech-band filter gently reduces nearby conversation intelligibility.
- Not a medical device. These are aesthetic and ergonomic tools; no clinical benefit is claimed.
- Eight bundled scenic wallpapers, five accent presets, and smoked dark / frosted light / system auto themes.
- Cloud, wallpaper, gradient, solid, and local-image backgrounds; dim, blur, brightness, contrast, and vignette controls.
- Four self-hosted font pairings, three UI scales, three corner profiles, and four clock faces.
- A ten-section searchable Settings Studio.
- Five interface languages — English, Hindi, Spanish, German, and Japanese — with English fallback.
The comparison below is about product categories, not vendor checklists. Features and prices change; verify current details with each product. This is not a benchmark or a security audit.
| Cove | Default browser tab | Wallpaper dashboard | Cloud RSS reader | Dedicated focus app | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account required | No | No | Usually no | Usually yes | Usually yes |
| Ads in the start page | No | Often | Plan-dependent | Plan-dependent | No |
| Local-first data | Yes | N/A | Mostly | No | Varies |
| RSS aggregation | 11 curated + 3 APIs + custom | No | Rare | Yes | No |
| Offline article reader | Up to 120 articles | No | No | Plan-dependent | No |
| Focus timer + blocker | Yes | No | Sometimes | No | Yes |
| Procedural audio | Yes, no audio files | No | Loops or none | No | Usually loops |
| Tab triage + sessions | Yes | No | Rare | No | No |
| Source available | Apache-2.0 | No | Rare | No | Rare |
| Price | Free | Free, ad-supported | Free + paid tiers | Free + paid tiers | Subscription |
Cove is a poor fit if you need multi-device sync today, team feed workflows, a produced music library, formal accessibility certification, or managed enterprise deployment. See the full, honest comparison and limitations.
Status:
v0.1.3is installed manually. It is not on the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons yet. Do not trust a store listing claiming to be Cove.
- Download the latest Chrome MV3 ZIP from GitHub Releases.
- Unzip it into a permanent folder.
- Open
chrome://extensions(orbrave://extensions,arc://extensions,edge://extensions) and enable Developer mode. - Choose Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder.
- Open a new tab.
- Download the latest Firefox MV3 ZIP.
- Open
about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox. - Choose Load Temporary Add-on and select the ZIP or its
manifest.json. - For a persistent install, use Firefox Developer Edition/Nightly via
about:addons→ Install Add-on From File.
Release archives include SHA-256 checksums and a manifest:
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS.txt # macOS/Linux
Get-FileHash .\cove-chrome-mv3-v0.1.3.zip -Algorithm SHA256 # Windows PowerShellBuild provenance, artifact names, and rollback steps are documented in Releasing.
Requirements: Node.js >=22.18.0 (the unit tests use --experimental-strip-types).
git clone https://github.com/DevAnimecx/cove.git
cd cove
npm ci
npm run devCreate and verify a release build:
npm run typecheck # strict TypeScript check
npm test # 66 unit tests
npm run build # Vite build + Chrome/Firefox ZIPs + checksums
npm run test:core # 2 integration audits: MV3/CSP and no-mock UI
npm run budget # fail at >= 170 KB gzipped
npm run verify # validate release artifactsThe repository targets Node 22, uses Vite 6 and Svelte 5, and packages Chrome and Firefox variants with the same source. The contributing guide covers layout, conventions, and the PR process.
Cove has no backend. The new tab is a Svelte application; a Manifest V3 service worker handles browser-level jobs; storage is split between chrome.storage.local and IndexedDB.
flowchart LR
A[index.html] --> B[boot-theme.ts]
B --> C[Pre-paint theme]
A --> D[Svelte 5 new tab]
D --> E[Reactive store]
E --> F[chrome.storage.local]
E --> G[IndexedDB]
D --> H[Web Audio graph]
D --> I[Discover aggregator]
I --> J[RSS + keyless APIs]
I --> K[Local article extraction]
K --> G
L[MV3 service worker] --> F
L --> M[Tabs, sessions, blocker]
D <--> L
- Pre-paint boot applies cached theme, font, scale, corner, and language attributes from
localStoragebefore the app mounts. This prevents a white flash; it is not a literal zero-millisecond startup guarantee. - One store, one mutation point.
src/lib/state.svelte.tsowns persistent state, sanitation, cache invalidation, and first-run defaults. - Discover has two transports. The installed extension fetches feeds directly under host permissions; the Vite dev server provides same-origin
/api/*middleware for local preview only. No production Cove API exists. - The worker stays small. It handles context menus, commands, 15-minute session snapshots, tab activity, and blocker rules. It does not fetch news, run the smart engine, or synthesize audio.
Read the full architecture, data model, and security model.
Cove is local-first, not network-silent. The default build is a working newsroom, weather card, and favicon-rich workspace, so several network features are enabled by default. Each can be turned off.
What never happens
- No Cove account, no Cove sync service, no Cove analytics endpoint.
- No ad network, sponsored feed, session replay, heatmap, or A/B testing SDK.
- No Google Fonts or font CDN; all fonts are bundled.
- No remote JavaScript, remote CSS, or remote audio.
- No paywall bypass.
What can leave your device
| Feature | Destination | Default | Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover feeds + APIs | 11 publisher feeds; Spaceflight News, DEV.to, HN Algolia | On | Settings → Privacy & Feeds |
| RSS widget | Up to 5 feed URLs | On | Settings → Privacy & Feeds |
| Weather | Open-Meteo forecast + geocoding | On | Settings → General |
| Search suggestions | DuckDuckGo autocomplete | On | Settings → Search |
| Favicons | Google / DuckDuckGo favicon services | On | Settings → Search / Appearance |
| Read-later metadata | The page you save | On | Settings → Privacy & Feeds |
| Unsplash wallpaper | images.unsplash.com |
Off | Enable explicitly in Atmosphere |
Publishers and public services can see your IP address and request timing, like any web request. They do not receive a Cove identity or analytics payload. For the complete endpoint-level ledger, defaults, retention, and deletion steps, read Privacy.
Security reports should go through GitHub Security Advisories, not a public issue. See SECURITY.md and the threat model.
Cove measures code weight, not total download size. At v0.1.3:
0.3 KB blocked page
3.4 KB pre-paint theme CSS
0.5 KB pre-paint theme JS
137.3 KB new tab JS
21.8 KB new tab CSS
0.9 KB triage core
0.6 KB triage worker
1.5 KB background service worker
-----------
166.2 KB total gzipped JS + CSS
170.0 KB enforced budget
3.8 KB headroom
The budget includes every .js and .css file in dist/, excludes wallpapers, fonts, HTML, icons, and runtime caches, and fails CI at 170 * 1024 bytes. The full archive is larger because eight wallpapers and four font families are bundled locally.
Other deliberate choices: no runtime framework download, no third-party fonts, no audio files, local wallpapers, bounded feed/article batches, LRU eviction, and lead-story/hover prefetch. The project does not yet ship a reproducible cold-paint benchmark; treat paint claims as design intent until a harness exists. See Performance for methodology and caveats.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
/ |
Focus search (or open the palette outside Bento/Ambient) |
Cmd/Ctrl+K |
Command palette across tabs, sessions, notes, and commands |
D |
Toggle Cove Discover |
M |
Toggle Sound Sanctuary |
1 2 3 4 |
Bento · Ambient · Focus · Stillness |
, or Cmd/Ctrl+, |
Settings Studio |
Cmd/Ctrl+J |
Smart Engine studio |
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+S |
Save the current window as a session |
Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+L |
Save the active tab to Read Later |
Esc |
Close the topmost surface |
The full list, search syntax, and inline commands are in Keyboard shortcuts.
Yes. Cove is licensed under Apache-2.0. There is no paid tier, subscription, account, or advertising. You can read the source, build it yourself, and modify it under the license.
No. There is no Cove account and no Cove sync service. Settings, notes, sessions, feeds, and the Smart Engine profile live in browser storage. To move data, export a JSON backup from Settings → Data and import it on the other device.
No. Cove includes no analytics, crash reporting, advertising SDK, session replay, or telemetry endpoint. It does make network requests for features such as RSS, weather, article extraction, and optional favicons; those go to the destinations listed in the privacy ledger, not to a Cove analytics service.
The shell, fonts, wallpapers, notes, settings, focus timer, sound engine, and cached articles work offline. Discover shows its last cached feed, and up to 120 cached full articles remain readable. New feeds, uncached articles, weather refreshes, and optional images need a network.
11 curated RSS/Atom sources + 3 keyless public APIs (Spaceflight News, DEV.to, Hacker News Algolia), plus any custom RSS/Atom feeds you add. The exact list is in Discover.
No. It is a procedural ambient synthesizer with adjustable modulation, not a medical device. It does not claim to treat ADHD, anxiety, sleep disorders, tinnitus, or any other condition. If you experience discomfort, stop and consult a professional.
Not in v0.1.3. Installation is manual from GitHub Releases. Store submission is a roadmap item, not a current claim.
More answers: FAQ.
Now — documentation and release hardening, feed compatibility, accessibility fixes, and a browser E2E harness.
Next — store packaging, a smaller Discover bundle, a reproducible performance harness, and improved offline reading.
Later — optional encrypted export, broader locale coverage, and a formal accessibility audit.
Non-goals — engagement optimization, ad tech, cloud sync that requires an account, paywall bypass, and medical claims.
Read the detailed roadmap and non-goals.
Cove is named after a sheltered edge of a larger body of water: a quiet place beside the open web, not another market square. The project is maintained by DevAnimecx and is currently pre-1.0.
The design principles are simple: keep the surface calm, keep the data local, measure what you claim, and label what is not finished. The project does not sell attention, does not run a recommendation server, and does not add a feature that only works by taking more from the user.
If Cove is useful to you, star the repository, report a specific broken feed, or contribute an accessibility fix or translation. Those are worth more than a generic “nice project.”
Contributions are welcome — especially accessibility fixes, translations, feed compatibility reports, documentation corrections, and edge-case tests. Security issues should go through SECURITY.md, not a public issue.
npm ci
npm run dev # local preview at http://localhost:5173
npm run release:checkRead CONTRIBUTING.md, the documentation hub, and the code of conduct before opening a pull request.
Copyright © 2026 DevAnimecx.
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. You may use, modify, and distribute Cove under the license terms, including commercially, with notices preserved. The project does not provide a commercial support contract.