Question 1

What is Nav0?

Accepted Answer

Nav0 (pronounced 'Nav Nought') is a free, open-source, privacy-focused desktop web browser built on Electron and Chromium. The name comes from 'navigate + nought (bloat).' It collects zero telemetry, requires no accounts, and stores all data locally on your device.

Question 2

What platforms does Nav0 support?

Accepted Answer

Nav0 supports Windows (x64), macOS (Intel x64 and Apple Silicon ARM64), and Linux (x64). On macOS, install via Homebrew: brew install --cask nav0-org/nav0/nav0. On Windows and Linux, download installers from GitHub Releases. On all platforms, you can build from source.

Question 3

What browser engine does Nav0 use?

Accepted Answer

Nav0 uses Chromium via Electron, giving it full compatibility with the modern web while maintaining privacy through zero telemetry and local-only data storage.

Question 4

Is Nav0 open source?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nav0 is fully open source under the MIT License. The complete source code is publicly available at https://github.com/nav0-org/nav0-browser. You can audit it, fork it, or build it from source yourself.

Question 5

How do I update Nav0?

Accepted Answer

Download the latest release from GitHub Releases or, on macOS, run brew upgrade nav0. Nav0 never forces updates — you control when and how you update.

Question 6

Does Nav0 collect any data?

Accepted Answer

No. Zero. Nav0 collects no telemetry, no usage statistics, no crash reports, no browsing data, no personal information, and no device information. There is nothing to opt out of because there is nothing to collect.

Question 7

Does Nav0 require an account?

Accepted Answer

No. Nav0 works fully without any sign-up, sign-in, or registration. There are no accounts, no profiles, and no cloud sync.

Question 8

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

All data is stored locally on your device. Bookmarks, browsing history, settings, and downloads are kept in local files and databases. On Windows: %APPDATA%/nav0/, on macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/nav0/, on Linux: ~/.config/nav0/.

Question 9

Does Nav0 phone home?

Accepted Answer

No. Nav0 makes zero unsolicited network requests. No analytics pings, no heartbeat checks, no anonymous usage data, no background sync. You can verify this by monitoring your network traffic.

Question 10

Does Nav0 block ads and trackers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nav0 includes a built-in ad blocker with domain blocking, URL pattern matching, cosmetic filtering, and video ad blocking. It also blocks third-party cookies by default and includes fingerprinting protection. Everything works out of the box.

Question 11

Is private browsing truly private in Nav0?

Accepted Answer

In private mode, Nav0 saves no history, clears cookies on close, and persists no cached data. Unlike other browsers, Nav0 also doesn't collect data in normal mode — so private mode is an extra layer on top of already-private browsing.

Question 12

How is Nav0 different from Chrome, Edge, or other mainstream browsers?

Accepted Answer

Unlike mainstream browsers, Nav0 does not send browsing data to any server, does not require or encourage sign-in, does not include advertising or monetization features, does not bundle AI assistants, and does not phone home for any reason. Most mainstream browsers are funded by advertising revenue and designed to collect user data.

Question 13

How is Nav0 different from Brave?

Accepted Answer

While Brave has meaningful privacy protections, its business model depends on an advertising network (Brave Ads) and it ships with a cryptocurrency wallet and affiliate link features. Nav0 has no advertising, no crypto features, and no business model that depends on user data.

Question 14

How is Nav0 different from Firefox?

Accepted Answer

Firefox receives approximately 80-85% of its revenue from Google search engine deals, creating a financial dependency. Firefox has also been adding AI-powered features. Nav0 has no search engine deals and no AI features.

Question 15

Does Nav0 support browser extensions?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nav0 supports extensions. However, third-party extensions have their own privacy policies and data practices. We recommend reviewing extension permissions, using open-source extensions, and limiting the number of installed extensions.

Question 16

Does Nav0 have a built-in ad blocker?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nav0 ships with a comprehensive ad blocker that includes domain blocking, URL pattern matching, cosmetic filtering, and video ad blocking. It works out of the box with no configuration required.

Question 17

Does Nav0 support dark mode?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nav0 has a dark mode toggle in the browser navbar that applies dark CSS to any website. It works on sites like LinkedIn and Reddit and persists across back/forward navigation.

Question 18

Can I open PDFs in Nav0?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nav0 has a built-in PDF reader that opens PDFs inline in browser tabs. You can also open local PDF files via File > Open PDF (Ctrl+Shift+O / Cmd+Shift+O).

Question 19

Does Nav0 have a reader mode?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nav0 includes Reader Mode powered by Readability.js — strip away page clutter and read articles in a clean, distraction-free layout.

Question 20

Can I restore tabs I accidentally closed?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nav0 tracks recently closed tabs and lets you restore them from the History menu. You can even restore an entire closed window with all its tabs.

Question 21

Does Nav0 support tab pinning?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Right-click any tab to pin it. Pinned tabs stay compact and persistent at the left side of the tab strip.

Question 22

Why doesn't Nav0 have an AI assistant?

Accepted Answer

Nav0 does not include AI because a browser's job is to browse the web. AI features typically require sending page content and user queries to cloud servers for processing, which contradicts Nav0's privacy-first design. If you want AI tools, you can visit them in a browser tab like any other website.

Question 23

Why doesn't Nav0 have a built-in VPN?

Accepted Answer

Browser VPNs create conflicts of interest and a false sense of security. A VPN inside the browser does not protect you from the browser itself. Nav0 believes these should be separate, auditable tools. A browser that collects zero data is already more private than any browser-plus-VPN combination from a big tech company.

Question 24

Why doesn't Nav0 have sync or cloud features?

Accepted Answer

Cloud sync requires accounts, which enable identity-linked data collection. It also means your bookmarks, history, and settings exist on someone else's server. Nav0 keeps everything local by design. If you need to transfer data between devices, you can export and import bookmarks manually.

Question 25

How do I report a bug?

Accepted Answer

You can report bugs directly from inside the browser using the built-in issue reporter, which supports image attachments. Screenshots are automatically compressed before upload. Alternatively, open an issue on GitHub at https://github.com/nav0-org/nav0-browser/issues.

Question 26

Does Nav0 enforce HTTPS?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Nav0 automatically upgrades HTTP URLs to HTTPS when possible. For sites with invalid or expired SSL certificates, Nav0 shows a security warning page with a temporary bypass option.

Question 27

Can I check if a site's SSL certificate is valid?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Click the lock icon in the address bar to view SSL certificate details in an overlay panel. The icon also reflects whether the connection is secure, insecure, or has no certificate info.

Question 28

How does Nav0 make money?

Accepted Answer

Nav0 is a community project. It does not monetize users. There are no search engine deals, no advertising revenue, and no paid features.

Question 29

How does Nav0 improve without collecting telemetry?

Accepted Answer

Through voluntary bug reports from users, GitHub issues and discussions, community feedback, and the developers' own daily usage of the browser.

Question 30

What happens if Nav0 gets acquired?

Accepted Answer

The code is open source under the MIT License. Even if the project changes hands, the community can fork it and continue development independently. Users can always build from a trusted commit.

Question 31

How can I contribute?

Accepted Answer

Visit the Contributing guide for details. You can contribute by reporting bugs, submitting pull requests, improving documentation, or simply using Nav0 and spreading the word.

Question 32

What license does Nav0 use?

Accepted Answer

Nav0 is licensed under the MIT License — one of the most permissive open-source licenses. You are free to use, modify, and distribute the software.

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