Web browser: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:35, 24 July 2025

Revision as of 16:57, 7 August 2025

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Since the early 2000s, browsers have greatly expanded their [[HTML]], [[CSS]], [[JavaScript]], and [[multimedia]] capabilities. One reason has been to enable more sophisticated websites, such as [[Web application|web apps]]. Another factor is the significant increase of [[broadband]] connectivity in [[List of sovereign states by number of broadband Internet subscriptions|many parts]] of the world, enabling people to access data-intensive content, such as [[Streaming media|streaming]] [[high-definition video|HD video]] on [[YouTube]], that was not possible during the era of [[Dial-up Internet access|dial-up modems]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Dial-Up Internet Today: Understanding Its Lasting Influence |url=https://simeononsecurity.com/articles/modem-magic_-how-dial-up-internet-works-and-its-legacy-today/ |website=SimeonOnSecurity |access-date=21 February 2024}}</ref>

Starting in the mid-2020s, browsers with integrated [[artificial intelligence]] (AI) capabilities, known as [[AI browser]]s, have become increasingly common. This includes both new entrants to the browser market and established browsers that added AI features, such as Chrome with the [[Gemini (chatbot)|Gemini]] [[chatbot]] and Edge with the [[Microsoft Copilot|Copilot]] chatbot.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Loic |first1=Lando |date=26 January 2024 |title=AI Browsers Are Here, and These Are the 5 Best Options |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/best-ai-browsers/ |website=Make Use Of |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Caswell |first1=Amanda |title=The rise of AI browsers is shaking up the web — here’shere's why it matters |date=18 July 2025 |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/the-rise-of-ai-browsers-is-shaking-up-the-web-heres-why-it-matters |website=Tom's Guide |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref>

==Features==

The most popular browsers share many [[software feature|features]] in common. They automatically log users' [[Web browsing history|browsing history]], unless the users turn off their browsing history or use the non-logging [[Private browsing|private mode]]. They also allow users to set [[Bookmark (digital)|bookmarks]], customize the browser with [[Browser extension|extensions]], and [[Download manager|manage their downloads]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Download a file | website=Google Chrome Help | url=https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95759?hl=en&sjid=17722824076517891817-NC | ref={{sfnref|Google Chrome Help}} | access-date=2025-03-21}}</ref> and [[password]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Balaban |first=David|date=17 February 2021|title=Password Manager Comparison: Top Password Managers for 2021|url=https://www.eweek.com/search-engines/comparing-in-browser-based-commercial-password-managers/|access-date=4 November 2021|website=eWEEK|language=en-US}}</ref> Some provide a sync service<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ioannou |first1=Pantelina |last2=Athanasopoulos |first2=Elias |chapter=Been Here Already? Detecting Synchronized Browsers in the Wild |date=2023-07-01 |title=2023 IEEE 8th European Symposium on Security and Privacy (EuroS&P) |chapter-url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10190548 |publisher=IEEE |pages=913–927 |doi=10.1109/EuroSP57164.2023.00058 |isbn=978-1-6654-6512-0}}</ref> and [[web accessibility]] features.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-17 |title=Accessibility: What users can do to browse more safely - Accessibility {{!}} MDN |url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Accessibility/Accessibility:_What_users_can_to_to_browse_safely |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=developer.mozilla.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Chromium (web browser).png|thumb|right|220x220px|Traditional browser arrangement has [[user interface]] features above page content.]]