Engine and web compatibility

Acira is built on Electron, which is built on Chromium, the engine behind Chrome and Edge. Pages are drawn and scripts run the way they do in other Chromium browsers. This page lists the exact versions and the places where Acira behaves differently from Chrome.

Engine and versions

Part	Version
Acira	Beta 13 (the update version is 0.1.0-beta.13)
Electron	44.9.3
Chromium	152.0.7977.167, the version inside Electron 44.9.3

See your own numbers in Settings › About › Updates. The row reads Acira, the release (for example Beta 13) and the Chromium major version.

The engine is part of the app. It changes when Acira updates, not on its own. So the Chromium version can be behind the newest Chrome release at any time. See Updates and verifying downloads.

Acira runs on Windows 11, or Windows 10 version 1809 or later, on 64-bit Intel or AMD processors, on macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon or Intel, and on 64-bit Intel or AMD Linux (x86_64) as an AppImage. It is a beta. There is no mobile version.

How Acira identifies itself to websites

Acira tells websites it is Chrome. Electron's default user agent carries the app's name and an Electron token, and some sites read that as an embedded browser or automation tool and block it or ask you to switch to Chrome. Acira therefore removes the Electron token and puts its own name last.

User agent. The Chromium default with the Electron token removed, and the version reduced to Chrome/152.0.0.0, the way Chrome reduces it. The platform part names Windows, macOS or Linux. The string ends with AciraBrowser/ and the version, for example AciraBrowser/0.1.0-beta.13. Tor tabs and Tor windows send no such token, so that Tor users look alike.
WhatsApp Web. web.whatsapp.com reads the last part of the user agent and turns away any browser it does not know by name, with a message that it works with Google Chrome. For that one address only, Acira sends the same string without the AciraBrowser/ token, in the request and in navigator.userAgent, and WhatsApp Web loads. Every other site gets the string above, and a tab goes back to it as soon as it leaves web.whatsapp.com. The client hints stay as they are.
Client hints. The Sec-CH-UA brand list, and navigator.userAgentData, list Google Chrome next to Chromium. The real version is available to sites through client hints.
Languages. navigator.language and navigator.languages match the Accept-Language header your profile sends. Choose it in Settings › Languages. See Languages and accessibility.
window.chrome. Pages see the window.chrome object that Chrome gives them.

Protected video (Widevine)

Streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Spotify use a protected playback module called Widevine. Whether it works depends on your platform.

Platform	Protected playback
Windows	Supported from version 0.1.0-beta.11. Acira prepares Widevine automatically when you are online, as on a Mac. Right after the first start it can take a moment, so a site may say protected playback could not start. Reload the page after a minute.
Mac	Supported Mac builds prepare Widevine automatically when you are online. After Acira starts, the engine installs and updates it from Google's service. Acira does not bundle it and does not copy it from another browser. Other builds may not support protected playback.

On a Mac

The initial install needs a network connection. A slow or failed download does not block ordinary browsing, and a slow install can finish in the background.
You need the streaming service's own account or subscription. You do not need an account with Acira, because there is no Acira account.
Availability, codecs, resolution and device requirements depend on the service, the account and your display. Acira does not promise that every service plays, or that you get 4K.

When a site cannot play protected video

Acira shows a notice once for each site: Acira couldn't start protected playback on this site. with a Learn more link. The link opens Settings › About › Streaming services that need DRM, which summarizes the same limits. On Windows, this is expected. On a Mac, check that you are online, restart Acira (it tries to install Widevine at each start) and try again.

See What isn't there yet.

What differs from Chrome

Area	In Acira
Third-party cookies	Blocked by the engine by default, in every window. Signing in to a site directly still works. Embedded sign-in or payment frames may need the setting changed: Settings › Privacy › Third-party cookies.
Ad APIs	Topics, Protected Audience and similar ad-targeting APIs are off.
Ads and trackers	Blocked by built-in filter lists, in normal and private windows. See Ads and trackers.
Tracking links	On by default: hidden (CNAME) trackers are blocked, tracking redirects are skipped, tracking parameters such as `fbclid` are removed from the address, and AMP pages open the publisher's own page.
Fingerprint protection	Standard by default: your device looks slightly different to each site. Strict can break some games, maps and web apps.
Global Privacy Control	Off by default. Turn it on in Settings › Privacy › Send Global Privacy Control.
Typed addresses	An address you type without `http://` or `https://` tries HTTPS before HTTP. If the secure connection cannot be made, Acira opens the site over HTTP and tells you. Local and private-network addresses typed that way open over HTTP straight away. See Localhost and certificates.
Address schemes	The address bar opens `http` and `https` addresses and Acira's own `acira://` pages. `view-source:`, `chrome:`, `file:` and `javascript:` addresses are refused. Use Open a file… for local files.
Camera, microphone and screen	A site must ask your permission. Sharing a screen, window or tab uses Acira's Choose what to share picker with Entire screen, Window and Acira tab. A pill with Stop sharing shows while anything is shared.
Location	A site must ask your permission. Acira has not verified that sites receive a position after you allow it, so location features may not work in this beta.
USB, HID, serial and Bluetooth devices	Not available. Acira refuses device access from websites and shows no device chooser.
Passkeys and security keys	Off by default. Turn them on in Settings › Privacy › Passkeys and security keys, then reload open pages. On a Mac, passkeys saved in iCloud are not available yet. See Passwords and passkeys.
Pop-ups	Pop-up ads are blocked and pop-under ads are closed, with a notice. You can turn pop-up blocking off for one site in the Ads and trackers panel.
Links that open another app	Acira shows Open an external application? and waits for your answer before it opens the other app.
Extensions	Chrome Web Store extensions, Manifest V3, with a subset of Chrome's APIs. Off in Tor and locked workspaces, and in private tabs and windows unless you allow an extension there. See Building and testing extensions.
Safe browsing	Acira warns about pages on public phishing and malware lists that it downloads daily and checks on your computer. It does not use Google Safe Browsing unless you add your own key.
Page translation, address and card autofill	Not built in. Acira saves passwords but not addresses or payment cards.
Sync and Google account	Not available. Acira has no account and no cloud sync.
DNS	Chromium's DNS prefetching is off. Secure DNS is a setting. See DNS, proxy and VPN.
Page zoom and interface size	Independent of each other. Zoom is per site.

Tor and the web platform

Tor tabs and windows follow stricter rules. A Tor tab searches with DuckDuckGo, geolocation and other device features are denied, and the Tor security level setting can turn off JavaScript features, WebGL, fonts, audio and video. Tor hides your IP address from sites. It does not hide your browser fingerprint, and Acira's Tor is not the same as Tor Browser. See Tor tabs and windows.

Last updated November 8, 2026