SearcheXtra

Project Overview

SearcheXtra is a fork of driceroland/Search that keeps the original lightweight browsing experience and adds Simplified Chinese support with an interface language selector that takes effect after a restart. The macOS build uses the system WebKit engine shared with Safari; the Windows build is rebuilt with WinUI 3 and WebView2. One address field handles URLs and search terms, with no recommendation feed, account, or cloud sync. Ad blocking, reader mode, element hiding, picture-in-picture, and password management are all built in.

Item	Value
Platform	macOS 14+ (ARM64), Windows 10 1809+ (x64)
Engine	WebKit (macOS) / WebView2 (Windows)
Languages	English, Simplified Chinese
License	MIT

The lightweight Search experience, plus a Chinese interface and localized maintenance.

Key Features

• Bilingual interface: menus, settings, dialogs, and messages in English and Simplified Chinese, following the system by default
• Address and search in one: a single field handles URLs and search terms with local-history suggestions, nothing sent before Return
• Tab management: top or sidebar tabs, pinning, Cmd+K tab finder, and automatic session restore
• Split view: drag tabs to page edges to split, with widths and pairs saved per space
• Reader mode: Shift+Cmd+R extracts the article body
• Element hiding: Shift+Cmd+H click-hides cookie notices and overlays, saved per site and applied before rendering
• Ad blocking: blocks third-party trackers and ad networks at the network layer, on by default with per-site controls
• Keychain passwords: stored in the macOS Keychain with import from Chrome, Arc, Dia, Brave, and Edge
• Chrome extensions: install from store links with MV3 user-script support (macOS 15.4+)

Target Audience

• Chinese-speaking Mac users
• Privacy-conscious users
• Existing Search users
• Fans of lightweight browsers

Quick Start

1. Download the macOS ARM64 ZIP from Releases, unzip, and move SearcheXtra.app to Applications
2. If the first launch is blocked, right-click and choose Open, or allow it in Privacy & Security
3. Open Settings, General, Interface language, pick Simplified Chinese, and restart the app
4. For extensions, make sure the system runs macOS 15.4 or later

Core Advantages

• WebKit engine: same foundation as Safari with no bundled Chromium
• No account, no telemetry: no cloud sync, no usage analytics, no crash reporting — all data stays local
• Legacy data compatible: the data directory and Keychain keep Search's internal identifiers, so upgrades never lose data

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
macOS	macOS 14 or later (ARM64), extensions need 15.4+
Windows	Windows 10 1809+ (x64, WebView2 build)
Package	ZIP with SHA256SUMS checksums
Build	macOS with the Swift 6 toolchain (from source)

Notes

• Data identifiers retained: the data directory, preferences domain, and Keychain keep Search's internal names; renaming the app never erases data
• Extension version floor: Chrome extension support requires macOS 15.4 or later
• Ad-hoc signing: builds are ad-hoc signed without notarization; right-click to open or allow in system settings on first launch