Quick Start Guide

Welcome to Helium

This guide will walk you through installing Helium, completing the initial setup, and exploring key privacy features. Let’s get started!

Download Helium

First, get Helium for your operating system:Recommended: Visit helium.computer for automatic platform detectionDirect Downloads:

macOS
Linux (AppImage)
Windows

Need detailed installation instructions? Check out the Downloads page for platform-specific guides.

Install Helium

Follow the installation process for your platform:

macOS
Linux
Windows

Open the downloaded .dmg file
Drag Helium to your Applications folder
Right-click Helium and select “Open” (first launch only)
Click “Open” in the security dialog

# Make the AppImage executable
chmod +x Helium-*.AppImage

# Run Helium
./Helium-*.AppImage

Complete the Onboarding

When you first launch Helium, you’ll see the onboarding page at helium://setup.The onboarding will guide you through:

Understanding Helium’s privacy features
Configuring your initial preferences
Learning about built-in ad-blocking with uBlock Origin

Take your time to read through the options and configure Helium to your preferences.

You can always return to settings later by going to helium://settings or clicking the menu icon (⋮) → Settings.

Start Browsing

Congratulations! You’re ready to browse the web with privacy by default.Key things to know:

No Google services: Helium doesn’t connect to Google servers
Built-in ad-blocking: uBlock Origin is pre-installed and active
Privacy by default: No telemetry, no tracking, no data collection

Understanding Helium’s Privacy Features

No Google Services

All Google services and tracking have been removed from the Chromium base. No background connections, no sync, no telemetry.

uBlock Origin

Powerful, efficient content blocker pre-installed. Block ads, trackers, and malware domains with customizable filter lists.

No Telemetry

Helium never collects usage data, crash reports, or any information about your browsing. What you do stays on your device.

Open Source

All code is public and auditable. You can verify exactly what Helium does (and doesn’t do) by inspecting the source.

Essential Features

Configuring uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin comes pre-installed with sensible defaults, but you can customize it to your needs:

Access uBlock Origin

Click the uBlock Origin icon in the toolbar (shield icon).

Open the Dashboard

Click the gear icon to open the uBlock Origin dashboard.

Customize Filter Lists

Navigate to the “Filter lists” tab to enable or disable specific blocking lists. Recommended lists are enabled by default.

Use Element Picker

Use the element picker tool (eyedropper icon) to manually block annoying elements on any webpage.

The default filter lists provide excellent protection. Only modify them if you have specific needs or encounter issues on certain websites.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Helium uses standard Chromium keyboard shortcuts:

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl/Cmd + T`	New tab
`Ctrl/Cmd + W`	Close tab
`Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + T`	Reopen closed tab
`Ctrl/Cmd + L`	Focus address bar
`Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N`	New incognito window
`Ctrl/Cmd + H`	View history
`Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Delete`	Clear browsing data

Settings and Customization

Access Helium’s settings by typing helium://settings in the address bar or:

Click the menu icon (⋮) in the top-right corner
Select “Settings”

Key settings to explore:

Privacy and security: Configure cookies, site permissions, and security features
Appearance: Customize theme, font size, and page zoom
Search engine: Set your preferred search engine (DuckDuckGo recommended for privacy)
Extensions: Manage installed extensions

Unlike Chrome, Helium doesn’t have built-in sync. Your settings and data stay local to your device, protecting your privacy.

Importing Data from Another Browser

You can import bookmarks, passwords, and history from your previous browser:

Open Settings

Navigate to helium://settings or click menu (⋮) → Settings.

Find Import Options

Look for “Import bookmarks and settings” or a similar option in the settings menu.

Select Source Browser

Choose which browser to import from (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc.).

Choose Data to Import

Select what you want to import:

Bookmarks
Saved passwords
Browsing history
Autofill data

Complete Import

Click “Import” and wait for the process to complete.

Be selective about what you import. If you’re switching to Helium for privacy, consider starting fresh rather than importing tracking-laden history.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Helium won't open on macOS

macOS may block unsigned applications. To fix:

Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security
Scroll down to find the message about Helium
Click “Open Anyway”

Alternatively, right-click Helium in Finder and select “Open”.

Website not loading correctly

Some websites may break with aggressive content blocking:

Click the uBlock Origin icon
Click the power button to disable blocking for this site
Reload the page

If the issue persists, it may be a website compatibility issue. Report it on GitHub Issues.

Missing features from Chrome

Helium intentionally removes Google-specific features:

No sync: Use a password manager like Bitwarden instead
No Google account integration: This is by design for privacy
No Google services: Services like Translate are removed

These removals are intentional privacy improvements, not bugs.

Extensions from Chrome Web Store

Helium can install extensions from the Chrome Web Store, but you may need to:

Enable “Developer mode” in helium://extensions
Manually download and install CRX files for some extensions

uBlock Origin comes pre-installed, so you don’t need to add it manually.

What’s Different from Chrome?

Helium is based on Chromium but with significant privacy improvements:

Removed
Added
Same

All Google API dependencies
Google account sync
Crash reporting and telemetry
Safe Browsing (replaced with local solutions)
Google Translate integration
Chrome Web Store integration
Background Google connections

Next Steps

Explore Settings

Dive deeper into Helium’s settings at helium://settings to customize your experience.

Install Extensions

Visit helium://extensions to manage extensions. Consider privacy-focused extensions like:

Privacy Badger
HTTPS Everywhere
Bitwarden (password manager)

Report Issues

Found a bug? Report it on GitHub to help improve Helium.

Contribute

Helium is open source. Contribute code, documentation, or ideas!

Getting Help

If you need assistance:

Check GitHub Issues: github.com/imputnet/helium/issues
Review Documentation: Re-read this guide and the Downloads page
Open a New Issue: If your problem is new, create a detailed bug report

Remember: Helium is in beta. Your feedback and bug reports are invaluable for improving the browser.

Stay Updated

macOS & Linux: Automatic updates are enabled by default
Windows: Check the Windows releases page periodically (auto-updates coming soon)

Back to Introduction

Return to the main documentation page

Get Started

Features

Usage Guide

Quick Start Guide

Welcome to Helium

Understanding Helium’s Privacy Features

No Google Services

uBlock Origin

No Telemetry

Open Source

Essential Features

Configuring uBlock Origin

Keyboard Shortcuts

Settings and Customization

Importing Data from Another Browser

Troubleshooting Common Issues

What’s Different from Chrome?

Next Steps

Explore Settings

Install Extensions

Report Issues

Contribute

Getting Help

Stay Updated

Back to Introduction

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Features

Usage Guide

​Welcome to Helium

​Understanding Helium’s Privacy Features

No Google Services

uBlock Origin

No Telemetry

Open Source

​Essential Features

​Configuring uBlock Origin

​Keyboard Shortcuts

​Settings and Customization

​Importing Data from Another Browser

​Troubleshooting Common Issues

​What’s Different from Chrome?

​Next Steps

Explore Settings

Install Extensions

Report Issues

Contribute

​Getting Help

​Stay Updated

Back to Introduction

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Welcome to Helium

Understanding Helium’s Privacy Features

Essential Features

Configuring uBlock Origin

Keyboard Shortcuts

Settings and Customization

Importing Data from Another Browser

Troubleshooting Common Issues

What’s Different from Chrome?

Next Steps

Getting Help

Stay Updated