Your browser. Your research. Your control.
HotTea is an open-source browser and research workspace built around user control, transparent AI integration, and local-first data management.
Illustrative preview of HotTea browser and research workspace layout.
Transparent Project Features
We clearly distinguish implemented functionality from experimental components and future roadmap milestones.
Multi-Provider Web Search
Address bar search supporting Google (default), DuckDuckGo, Bing, and Brave Search via standard URL query encoding. No proxy servers, telemetry, or query interception.
SearchEngine.generateUrl()
Multi-Tab Browsing
Create, switch, and close isolated tabs. Each tab preserves independent navigation history, document title, loading progress, and responsive viewport sizing.
BrowserTabController
Local-First Persistence
Bookmarks, browsing history, and research notes are stored directly on your machine in an offline SQLite database. No mandatory user accounts or cloud servers.
SqlitePersistenceRepository
Private / Incognito Tabs
Disables WebKit disk caching and DOM storage. Visits made inside private tabs are never committed to your local browsing history database.
incognito: isPrivate
State-of-the-Art Glassmorphic UI
Modern translucent aesthetics with dynamic blur refraction, floating GlassDock navigation, ambient canvas mesh, and dedicated instant Settings across macOS, iOS, and Android.
GlassTheme & GlassDock
Session State Restoration
Automated session checkpointing via app lifecycle observers (`paused`, `inactive`) to restore open tabs and URLs across application relaunches.
WidgetsBindingObserver
Provider-Agnostic AI Gateway
A unified gateway for local and remote models with strict opt-in consent. Prohibits silent cloud fallback when local inference is configured.
AIGatewayContract
Encrypted .tea Vaults
Encrypted-at-rest container format for personal notes and credentials. The threat model is documented in our specifications; implementation is in progress.
docs/threat_model_tea.md
Clear Privacy Principles
Privacy is an architectural requirement, not marketing rhetoric. Here is exactly what HotTea does and does not do.
Zero First-Party Telemetry
HotTea contains zero tracking scripts, usage telemetry, ad networks, or background analytics beacons. Your browsing patterns remain on your device.
Local-First Offline Storage
Bookmarks, notes, history, and workspace configurations are written to a local SQLite database (`$HOME/Documents` or sandbox container).
Explicit Network Transparency
Search queries are sent directly to your chosen provider (Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing, Brave). We do not route search traffic through proprietary proxy servers.
Important Real-World Disclaimer
HotTea does not make you anonymous on the internet. External websites and search providers still observe your public IP address, TLS connection metadata, and search queries as they do in any web browser. For anonymous network routing, consider dedicated anonymity tools such as the Tor Browser.
Cross-Platform Availability
Our platform statuses are based on verified builds and running test suites, not theoretical framework compatibility.
macOS
WebKit Desktop Engine Available (DMG 11 MB)iOS
Mobile WebKit + Gestures AvailableWeb
Flutter Web + Fallback PreviewAndroid
Android WebView Engine Available (APK 56 MB)Windows
WebView2 Bindings In DevLinux
WebKitGTK Integration In DevHow HotTea Is Structured
A modular layer separation ensures that browsing, user interface, persistence, and external services operate under clear contracts.
Built in the Open under Apache 2.0
HotTea is free, transparent, and welcomes developers, privacy researchers, and designers.
Contributors
HotTea is created and maintained by Shomayyy12 alongside the open-source community.
