I tried the most minimal browser I could find and it changed how I work

For the longest time, more features have been the strongest motivation for finding new web browsers. It's the same reason I shifted from the likes of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge to options like Arc and Zen Browser.

However, you cannot ignore the cognitive overhead that all these browsers cause when you work on them all the time. It means you sometimes need a calmer, more focused way to browse the web.

I had a similar situation, and that led to one of the most minimal browsers I could think of.

Why did I go looking for a browser with almost nothing in it

Turns out the problem was never the tabs

The idea of a minimalistic web browser has always appealed to me for various reasons. For instance, I do not want to use up a lot of RAM or CPU resources for a web browser, especially when I want to multitask. This time, however, I was looking for a browser with almost nothing in it because I wanted a calm browsing experience.

As I said earlier, the cognitive load of handling all the tabs, toolbars, and everything else was getting to me.

There are definitely times when I use all those amazing features, which often go so far as to replace dedicated apps! However, at many a time, I just want a peaceful atmosphere to read, write, or do research. Hiding the toolbars and customizing existing options like Arc and Brave only took me so far, though.

That is when I came across Min, a fully stripped-down web browser that is proud to be small. Min Browser is probably the most minimal web browser I have come across, and it has become an integral part of my workflow these days.

The first hour with Min was disorienting in a way I didn't expect

No tab bar, no home button, and a search box that talks back

Over these years, I have looked for new features every time I installed a web browser. However, things were different with Min Browser. This stripped-down browser lacks many features you would expect from a typical browser, including a tab bar, a home button, and other buttons. Instead, you can see a blank screen with a couple of buttons on both sides.

You can click the New Tab button and enter the URL you want to open, and Min will take you there. As you open other webpages using the + button, Min Browser will arrange them horizontally. The main interface of Min Browser remains simple for the most part, but you can access the Tasks section using another button in the bottom-right section. This page lets you create and track tasks related to the open pages.

I also realized that the address bar in Min Browser was doing more than I expected. Instead of just being a place to type the URL, it also shows a snapshot of the full browsing history. The moment you start typing, you get better results based on the sites you have already visited. As for search, DuckDuckGo is the default search engine in Min Browser, delivering better results without compromising privacy.

Overall, getting started with Min Browser was different, but in a good way.

The feature that actually changed my workflow wasn't the one I expected

I came for the calm, I stayed for the search

A distraction-free interface was what I expected when I decided to try out Min Browser; however, as I went through the process, I came across several features that influenced my workflow.

The search function integrated into Min Browser deserves special mention in this regard. Instead of becoming a typical URL bar, Min Browser keeps track of the content of the webpages you have visited. So, the next time you want to recall something, you don't have to remember the URL or the article title; a word or phrase would do. Having this amazing feature without third-party extensions is a blessing for lengthy research sessions. This ability also means I don't have to keep a dozen tabs open.

I should also talk about how effective the focus mode is. Because this hides the entire navigation system, you can focus entirely on the page's content. Let's say I'm reading an article or dealing with a particular document. I would rather do it without the distracting elements that we have grown accustomed to in web browsers. I use it particularly while drafting articles. To make the process as fast as possible, Min Browser has also integrated an ad blocker.

Another impressive feature helping my workflow with Min Browser is its support for keyboard-first navigation. You can customize a variety of keyboard shortcuts so that you might not even want to touch the mouse when you want to navigate the web. The browser also does not strip away all kinds of customization. For instance, you get minute control over features like content blocking and script blocking.

Overall, it's not just the calm design, but the optimized workflow that keeps me using Min Browser.

Where Min fell apart for me

Minimal is great until a site really needs a grown-up browser

Despite all the great things that Min Browser offers, there are times when I want to go back to something else. It is also one of the reasons I cannot recommend Min Browser as a full-time replacement for Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. On the other hand, I would rather treat Min Browser as an option to consider when you meet the right requirements. Here are a few instances where Min falls apart:

• The lack of support for extensions means you will have to manage passwords manually, and many other ecosystem-centric features will be unavailable.
• Depending on the size of the web pages you visit, you may encounter rendering issues with Min Browser. So, there are times when you want to reopen the page on a rather mainstream browser.
• You cannot rely on the development entirely because Min Browser is a small-time open-source project.

While these are not bottlenecks in particular, you should keep these things in mind before you wholeheartedly try Min Browser.

How Min actually fits into my day now

To recap, Min Browser hasn't really replaced my go-to browsers, like Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge. On the other hand, it has become a niche option that I consider more often than I would admit to. As someone who spends a lot of time with fully fledged web browsers, the calm interface and features that Min Browser offers make it a better place for me to work, especially for writing, research, and peaceful reading. If you connect to these ideas, it would also be a great option for you to check out what Min Browser has to offer.