BrowSync

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BrowSync is a cross-browser routing and sync hub for macOS. It unites Safari, all Chromium-based browsers, and Firefox, intelligently routing links and syncing bookmarks and sessions in real-time.

Important

Local Execution BrowSync's synchronization and URL routing happen locally on your device via a WebSocket daemon. Browsing data (bookmarks, cookies, local storage, active tabs) is stored on your machine without external server involvement.

🚀 Features

• URL Routing: Register BrowSync as the default macOS browser to direct links to specific browsers based on domain, URL patterns, query strings, source application, or time of day.
• Bookmark Sync: Sync bookmarks in real-time across Safari, all Chromium-based browsers, and Firefox. You can choose a dedicated sync folder for each browser without affecting that browser's other bookmark folders.
• State Sync: Sync Cookies, LocalStorage, and sessionStorage across supported browsers to maintain login states.
• Tab Sharing: View active tabs across browsers. It filters out incognito tabs and non-HTTP(S) local pages, and deduplicates URLs.
• Sync Strategies: Supports unidirectional (master-slave), last-write-wins (based on access time), and bidirectional merging.
• Site Control: Manage sync scope with whitelist/blacklist rules and per-site policies.
• Local Network: Communication is handled locally via a WebSocket daemon (ws://127.0.0.1:62333). No external servers are used.
• Native macOS App: Built with SwiftUI. Supports Dark/Light themes, Menu Bar integration, and Launch at Login.
• iCloud Sync: Automatically sync your routing rules, settings, and site preferences across all your Mac devices via iCloud.

🌐 Supported Browsers

BrowSync supports a wide range of browsers out of the box, and allows you to add virtually any Chromium-based browser manually.

Natively Supported:

• Safari
• Google Chrome
• Arc
• Microsoft Edge
• Brave
• Firefox
• Vivaldi
• Opera
• Yandex Browser
• Orion
• Helium
• BrowserOS

Custom Browsers: If your favorite Chromium-based browser is not on the list, you can easily add it! Simply go to the "Browsers" tab in the app, click "Add Custom Browser...", and select your browser's .app file from the Applications folder.

📸 Screenshots

🛠 Installation & Setup

1. Requirements

Tool	Version
macOS	14.0+
Xcode	15.0+
Swift	5.10+
Homebrew	Latest
XcodeGen	2.40+

2. App Store

You can download BrowSync from the Mac App Store: Download on the App Store

3. Build from Source

# 1. Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/chentao1006/browsync.git
cd browsync

# 2. Generate Xcode project using XcodeGen
xcodegen generate

# 3. Open the generated project
open BrowSync.xcodeproj

Then in Xcode:

1. Select the BrowSync target → Signing & Capabilities
2. Set your Development Team
3. Press ⌘R to build and run

4. Install Browser Extension

Chromium-based Browsers: You can install the BrowSync extension directly from the Chrome Web Store: Install from Chrome Web Store

Firefox: You can install the BrowSync extension directly from Firefox Add-ons: Install from Firefox Add-ons

Safari: The app includes a native Safari extension. After running the BrowSync app, you can enable it directly in Safari's Settings -> Extensions.

🔍 Architecture & Protocol

System Architecture

Safari Ext        Chromium Ext        Firefox Ext
      │                  │                   │
      └──────────────────┼───────────────────┘
                         │
                  BrowSync Daemon
              ws://127.0.0.1:62333
                         │
                   BrowSync App
              (macOS native, SwiftUI)

Directory Structure

BrowSync/
├── BrowSync/                   # macOS App (Swift/SwiftUI)
│   ├── App/                    # Entry point, AppState
│   ├── Views/                  # Multi-tab UI (Browsers, Rules, Sync)
│   ├── Core/                   # DaemonServer, BrowserScanner, BrowserLauncher
│   ├── Models/                 # Data models (Browser, Rule, SyncModels, WSMessage)
│   ├── Services/               # RulesEngine, SyncService, SettingsService
│   └── Resources/              # Info.plist, Localizable.strings (en + zh-Hans)
│
├── SafariExtension/            # Safari Web Extension target
│   ├── SafariWebExtensionHandler.swift
│   └── Resources/
│       ├── manifest.json
│       ├── background.js       # WebSocket client, bookmark/cookie/tab sharing
│       ├── content.js          # localStorage/sessionStorage proxy
│       ├── popup.html
│       └── popup.js
│
├── ChromiumExtension/          # Shared MV3 extension (Chromium-based)
│   ├── manifest.json
│   ├── background/
│   │   └── service-worker.js   # Same logic as Safari background.js
│   ├── content/
│   │   └── content-script.js
│   ├── popup/
│   │   ├── popup.html
│   │   └── popup.js
│   └── _locales/
│       ├── en/messages.json
│       └── zh_CN/messages.json
│
├── FirefoxExtension/           # MV3 extension for Firefox
│   ├── manifest.json           # Includes Firefox-specific CSP and settings
│   └── (Same structure as ChromiumExtension)
│
├── project.yml                 # XcodeGen configuration
├── BrowSync.entitlements       # App entitlements (Sandbox: NO)
├── package.sh                  # Script to package the app
├── release.sh                  # Script to automate releases
├── test.sh                     # Script to run tests
├── index.html                  # Landing page
└── privacy.html                # Privacy policy

WebSocket Protocol

All browser extensions connect to the BrowSync daemon at ws://127.0.0.1:62333.

• Registration: { "type": "register", "browser": "chrome", "instanceId": "chrome-main" }
• Heartbeat (every 30s): { "type": "heartbeat" }
• Sync:

{
  "type": "sync",
  "browser": "safari",
  "site": "chatgpt.com",
  "category": "bookmarks",
  "payload": { "kind": "bookmarks", "bookmarks": [...] },
  "messageId": "uuid",
  "timestamp": 1234567890
}

📁 Data Directory & Identifiers

BrowSync stores its data locally in your Application Support folder:

~/Library/Application Support/BrowSync/
├── sites/          # Per-site sync state
├── bookmarks/      # Synced bookmark snapshots
├── logs/           # sync-YYYY-MM-DD.log
└── settings.json   # All app settings

Bundle IDs:

• App: com.ct106.browsync
• Safari Extension: com.ct106.browsync.extension
• App Group: group.com.ct106.browsync

🎯 Feature Status (MVP)

Feature	Status
Browser detection & extension status	✅
WebSocket Daemon	✅
URL routing rules & Default browser handling	✅
Bookmark real-time sync	✅
localStorage & sessionStorage cross-browser sync	✅
Cookie cross-browser sync	✅
Real-time Tab Sharing (w/ deduplication & privacy filter)	✅
Granular site sync control	✅
Safari, Chromium & Firefox MV3 Extensions	✅
Dark/Light/System theme & EN/zh-Hans localization	✅
iCloud Sync for rules and settings	✅

⚠️ Important Notes

• Default Browser: To utilize the URL routing feature, BrowSync must be set as your default system browser in macOS Settings.

🛡 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.