In-App Browser
Thunderbolt can open a web page in a panel beside the chat, so you can read a linked source without leaving the conversation.
Experimental. The in-app browser has not had a full privacy or security review. It is tested on macOS only. Windows and Linux are expected to work but are untested.
Availability
The panel is part of the desktop app. In the iOS and Android apps a link opens in the OS browser, and in a web browser it opens in a new tab.
Opening a page
What a link in an assistant reply does depends on your External Links preference in Settings → Preferences.
| Setting | What a link click does |
|---|---|
| Ask (default) | Shows a dialog with the full URL. On the desktop app you can pick the side panel or your browser; everywhere else it confirms opening in your browser |
| Sidebar | Opens in the side panel immediately. Desktop app only |
| Browser | Opens in your default browser (a new tab on the web) with no confirmation |
Each device keeps its own copy of this preference, and on the web Browser is shown as New
tab. Only http and https links open in the panel. A link using any other scheme is inert: clicking it
does nothing.
Using the panel
The panel holds one thing at a time, so opening a page replaces whatever was in it: an attachment preview, a cited source, a tool result, or an artifact.
The divider between the chat and the panel resizes it, and the width is remembered. An open page covers the divider’s right half, so drag from the side nearest the chat.
Privacy
Pages open in a private session. Nothing from the page is written to disk, and each page you open starts from a clean state, with no cookies, logins, or stored preferences carried over from the last one. You can sign in to a site, and the session lasts until you close the page or open another one in the panel. The next visit starts signed out.
The page connects directly to the site, bypassing the backend proxy that carries your model and MCP traffic. The site sees your real IP address and the usual device details a browser reveals, such as screen size, operating system, and language. If you are opening sensitive pages, use a VPN.
Don’t sign in to anything that matters here. Open it in your real browser instead.
Limitations
Extensions do not run in the panel, which rules out ad blockers, password managers, and privacy extensions. The panel shows one page at a time and keeps no history: there are no tabs, and no back, forward, or bookmark controls. It is also slower than a browser. There is a visible delay before a page appears, on every open.
Known issues
Don’t open three or more pages within a few seconds; it can freeze the window. Let each one finish loading first.
A few sites make the operating system ask for your login password to unlock its keychain, even though the page is in a private session. The request comes from the page, not from Thunderbolt, and you can dismiss it.
Rendering engine
The panel uses the browser engine your operating system provides, so page rendering matches that engine rather than Firefox or your default browser.
| Platform | Engine |
|---|---|
| macOS | WebKit |
| Windows | Microsoft Edge WebView2 (Chromium) |
| Linux | WebKitGTK |
Planned
- A security and privacy review before the feature leaves experimental status.
- Content and ad filtering inside the panel.
- Faster opens.