Developer preview

The browser extension.

It needs chanio-core, which isn't public yet — so for most people the place to start is /setup. If you want the extension anyway, it's below, readable and unsigned.

Download chanio-extension.zip

Then paste chrome://extensions in your address bar — browsers block links to chrome:// pages, so that one's on you.

Works in Chrome, Arc, Brave, Edge, and Opera. Manifest V3. 13 KB. No telemetry.

New here? See a sample of what chanio makes first →

Before you install — optional
Backfill your past AI chats first.
The extension captures forward. Backfill compounds backward — drop in your Claude.ai or ChatGPT export and tomorrow's brief is dense from day 1.
Backfill →
Read this first — what the extension needs
The extension streams what you save into chanio-core running on your machine — that's what makes it local-first. chanio-core isn't public yet. If you're not running it, the extension has nowhere to send captures — start at /setup, or with the backfill importer, which works today with zero install and hands you your captures as markdown files you keep.
1

Download the extension

One zip, 13 KB. Unzip it somewhere you can find again — the folder stays on your machine.

2

Open chrome://extensions

Paste that into your address bar. Same menu for Chrome, Arc, Brave, and Edge.

3

Toggle Developer mode

Top-right switch. This unlocks the Load unpacked button.

4

Click Load unpacked → pick the chanio folder

Select the unzipped chanio-extension folder (the one with manifest.json inside). chanio installs instantly.

5

Pin chanio

Click the puzzle icon in your toolbar and pin chanio. Cmd-Shift-S saves the page you're on when it's worth keeping.

What it reads, and what it does not

It saves the pages you choose (Cmd-Shift-S) and the AI chats you have; it can read any page you're on, so it asks for all-site permission. Nothing is sent anywhere but your own machine.

Never touchesPasswords, payment fields, private tabs, inputs flagged sensitive.
ReadableEvery line of content.js and background.js is in the zip.

Not running chanio-core? That's most people. Set up chanio on your Mac instead →