# Hem 0.1.0 RC 1

A little browser. A lot of web.

Windows x64 portable release candidate, 15 October 2026.

## Included

- Minimal colorable frame with square buttons, inline tab/address editing, local autocomplete, task groups and lazy tab restoration.
- Six ready-to-use search providers: DuckDuckGo, Google, Bing, Brave Search, Startpage and Ecosia.
- Configurable right-click actions, repeatable separators, drag ordering, custom script/URL actions and a Screenshots flyout with eight capture modes.
- Built-in ad and tracker filtering, cosmetic rules, site exceptions and custom filter rules.
- Custom settings controls, keyboard-friendly dropdowns, HEX/RGB theme editor and minimal six-pixel scrollbars.
- Local Windows-encrypted password storage; optional Bitwarden and 1Password CLI adapters.

## Release preparation fixes

- Updated Electron to 44.7.2 with Chromium 152.0.7977.149.
- Settings and tabs flush to disk when the window closes, including changes made immediately before exit.
- Site permissions check the requesting origin, reject background/subframe requests, and expire on page reload/navigation. A pending prompt cannot grant access after the page changes.
- Pinned dependencies and a lockfile; local build tools remove dependencies on sibling projects. Packaging verifies the runtime, file inventory and archive contents.

## Before using this candidate

Extract the complete ZIP into a writable folder and open Hem.exe. Close older Hem windows first. Your existing `%APPDATA%/Hem` profile is reused; close Hem and back up that folder before changing versions. Do not run Hem as administrator. Keep all runtime files together.

This candidate is unsigned and has no automatic application updater. Verify its ZIP against SHA256SUMS.txt and install future updates manually. Windows may show an unknown-publisher prompt; verify the download source before deciding to run it.

Live authentication against personal Bitwarden/1Password accounts has not been verified. The adapters are experimental; official CLI installation and authentication are required. Hem Passwords has no passkeys, sync or Windows Hello challenge. CSV exports are plaintext. Read PASSWORDS.md before importing credentials.

Chrome extension compatibility, default-browser registration, a setup installer and a macOS/Linux build are not included. DRM-protected media and some device/browser APIs may not work. Screenshot limits and filter limitations are described in README.md. System dialogs and native context menus use Windows styling. Performance and memory-saving claims have not been benchmarked.

This is a release candidate for evaluation; the release-readiness report lists the remaining public-release checks.