Ulaa Browser
Ulaa Browser is a proprietary browser developed on open-source Chromium technology by the Zoho Corp. Ulaa claims to be "a privacy first browser" that works hard to ensure you data is secure at all times. They are very open about collecting "Annonymous stats" to them improve their service.
How to Install Ulaa on Ubuntu and Debian based Systems:
Go to Ulaa.com and click the Download button.
Read the License Agreement and then click the Accept and Download button.
You will be prompted with a Thanks for choosing Ulaa dialog box. It will also provide instructions to open your Terminal.
I recommend that you go to the folder where you download files (ex. Downloads folder) and right-click in an empty space and select Open in Terminal.
Your Terminal should open in the Downloads folder.
Enter the following: wget https://ulaa.com/release/linux/stable/install-ulaa-browser.sh && /bin/bash install-ulaa-browser.sh
Press the Enter or Return key
Press the Enter or Return key
Press the Y key when prompted, Do you want to continue?
Wait until everything finishes before you close the Terminal.
Ulaa should show up in your menu. Reboot your system if it doesn't show up.
The first time you open Ulaa you will be greeted with a Welcome to Ulaa screen. Click the Let's Explore button to learn more about the new browser.
You will notice a button in the right upper corner called Personal. The Personal mode offers standard privacy functions like secure logins and tracking prevention to maintain your personal online privacy. If you click the button you will see 5 additional modes: Kids, Open season, Work, Developer, and Incognito.
If you click on the Kids mode you will be presented with a screen asking you to create a Password to prevent you kids from changing modes. The Kids mode will block unwanted content from loading.
The Kids Mode is a family-friendly browser mode that provides a safe online platform for children to browse, learn, and explore content online.
You must enter the Password in order to exit Kids Mode.
Open Season Mode has disabled adblockers and tracking blockers, this mode enables access to all websites including zero-restriction sites without hindrances of UI or feature breakages (basically, when you want Ulaa to behave like an average browser).
Work Mode allows you to boosts your productivity and helps you stay focused on the work in hand by blocking distracting websites.
Developer Mode is designed for professional web developers and testers.
Ulaa’s Developer Mode includes suggested extensions for a seamless browsing experience.
Incognito Mode will cause the browser not to remember anything you do online.
Personal Mode offers standard privacy functions like secure logins and tracking prevention to maintain your personal online privacy.
The Show side panel icon is the first icon or button in the upper right corner. This allows you to organize and access folders and bookmarks. You can also search for a bookmark saved in the browser in the mode displayed.
The second icon or button in the upper right corner is the Ulaa notes icon. You'll need to create a free ZoHo account or login with your existing account.
You can type your notes within the Notes panel on the right.
Click the paint bucket icon in the lower left corner to change the background color.
Click the A icon in the lower left to Bold, Italic, Underline, or Strike-through text in your notes.
Clicking on the three horizontal lines or hamburger menu will create a drop-down menu with a lot of options. Clicking on Preferences will allow you to make changes in your settings.
Below you can compare the Preferences of Ulaa (on the left) to the Settings of Google Chrome (on the right).
Your Data section allows you to sign in to sync your data across all of your Ulaa browsers. You can also turn on or off to allow Ulaa to offer to save passwords. You can also import or export your passwords from other browsers. I don't use these features since I use a password manager (Bitwarden).
Privacy and Security allows you to select between Standard and Extreme Protection. You can also make some additional protection changes to enhance your online privacy.
Appearance allows you to make changes to the look of the selected Profile. You can change the Theme of the browser, turn on Show Home Button, Show Bookmark Bar, and more.
Search Engine allows you to manage your favorite search engine within the browser.
On Start-Up allows you to control what you see when you open the browser or open a new tab.
Languages allows you to enable or disable the built-in spell check feature.
Downloads allows you to change the path of the files you download and whether or not you want to be prompted before each download.
Accessibility allows you to modify and add accessibility features to the browser.
Reset Settings allows you to restore the browser to its original default settings.
Auto Mode Switching allows you to switch modes if a certain website is accessed.
Kids Mode Settings allows you to control what your kids see and do online.
Browser Settings allows you to make the browser your default browser and modify some additional system settings.
Extensions will allow you to view and manage your extensions and keyboard shortcuts.
Below is a view of My extensions after I installed some from the Chrome Web Store.
Ulaa allows you to see the current version, get online help, and determine if you want Ulaa to collect Anonymized Stats from your browser.
Ulaa will allow you to install add-ons or extensions from the Chrome Web Store.
You can choose between hundreds of themes.
I installed the Slinky Elegant theme by clicking the Add to Ulaa button.
Recommended Browser Extensions
Here are several add-ons or extensions that you can use to enhance your web browser’s protection and security.
Here are several add-ons or extensions that you can use to enhance your web browser’s protection and security.
- uBlock Origin (Chrome Web Store)
- Poper Blocker (Chrome Web Store)
- Privacy Badger (Chrome Web Store) or DuckDuckGo (Chrome Web Store)
- Bitwarden (Chrome Web Store)
- SponsorBlock for YouTube (Chrome Web Store)
- Malwarebytes Browser Guard (Chrome Web Store)
- Google Translate (Chrome Web Store)
The Ulaa Browser worked great and looked great after I installed the extensions and made some changes in the preferences.
I set https://duckduckgo.com as my default homepage. I edit the website to remove the clutter to make it a clean looking homepage.
Ulaa has already gotten an update since I've installed it. It was updated the same time as Google Chrome.
How to Uninstall Ulaa:
1. Open the Terminal (Shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + T)
2. Type the following: sudo apt remove ulaa-browser
3. Type the following: sudo rm -fv /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ulaa-browser.list
1. Open the Terminal (Shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + T)
2. Type the following: sudo apt remove ulaa-browser
3. Type the following: sudo rm -fv /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ulaa-browser.list
If you use Google Chrome and/or Microsoft Edge then I recommend that you give Ulaa a try. I think you'll like it as much as you do those browsers.
Jan 8, 2024