What is Darkelf Browser?

Darkelf Browser is a suite of open-source, hardened, non-persistent privacy browsers built for security researchers and privacy advocates. Products include Darkelf Cocoa (macOS) and Darkelf Shadow (macOS/Linux/Windows).

Is Darkelf Browser free?

Darkelf Cocoa and Darkelf Shadow are available as open-source software. Consult each project repository for its current license and download options.

What platforms does Darkelf Browser support?

Darkelf Cocoa is macOS-only. Darkelf Shadow is developed for macOS, Linux, and Windows. Consult individual project releases for available builds.

How do I verify a Darkelf Browser download?

Download Darkelf only from the official project links. When a release provides a checksum, calculate the downloaded file’s SHA-256 hash and compare it with the published value.

Darkelf Cocoa v7.1.6

Stable

October 7, 2026Native macOS Privacy Browser

Highlights

Improved privacy and fingerprinting protections
Improved website and verification compatibility
Refined WebKit content filtering and tracker resistance
Improved native macOS accent and interface behavior

Release Notes

Darkelf Cocoa Browser v7.1.6

Fullscreen Hide Fixes, Native Menu Refinements & Compatibility | October 2026

Darkelf Cocoa 7.1.6 improves native application-menu Hide behavior in maximized and fullscreen windows, while retaining the custom accent-colored Darkelf menu, native macOS menu styling, link previews, and site-based adblocking compatibility profiles.

WHAT'S NEW

Fullscreen Hide Actions

Corrected Hide Darkelf Cocoa (Command-H) and Hide Others (Option-Command-H) action handling for maximized and fullscreen windows. Preserves the existing Quit command (Command-Q).

Native Application Menu

Retains About Darkelf Cocoa, License & Attribution, Darkelf on PyPI, and GitHub Repository links opening in Darkelf tabs, alongside Hide, Hide Others, and Quit.

Accent Synchronization

Retains custom accent-colored highlighting in the Darkelf Cocoa application menu while preserving the distinct macOS Apple-menu appearance. Menu actions no longer require switching the custom Hide rows to standard blue-highlighted items.

Link Hover Preview

Added a compact, rounded URL preview in the lower-left corner, with vertically centered text, automatic hiding, middle truncation for long links, and an accent-colored border. Previewing a URL does not itself make a network request.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Added Command-H (Hide Darkelf Cocoa), Option-Command-H (Hide Others), and Command-Q (Quit Darkelf Cocoa) to the in-app Keyboard Shortcuts reference.

Site-Based Adblocking Protection Modes (Content Rules v15.28)

Introduced domain-aware adblocking profiles inspired by Shadow’s trust/protection approach: TRUSTED for DW (compatibility-first; relaxes blocking on that site), PROTECTED for CNN and GameSpot (retains EasyList network blocking and existing ad-container cleanup), and STANDARD for other sites (current default blocking behavior). These are predefined site profiles, not an automatic classifier or user-facing mode selector.

Website Compatibility Test

In developer testing after the v15.28 change, DW, CNN, and GameSpot loaded, and the large black advertising boxes were removed from CNN and GameSpot. Some empty advertising containers or reserved whitespace remain. The previous 100/100 Adblock Tester result is not a verified result for every v15.28 build.

Privacy & Compatibility

Preserves ephemeral WebKit browsing, content blocking, fingerprinting protections, WebRTC restrictions, and local MiniAI Sentinel monitoring. Carries forward the ESPN, NBA, and NHL playback compatibility improvements from v7.1.2. The earlier 100/100 Adblock Tester result applies to the prior developer test configuration, not necessarily every v7.1.6 build.

RELEASE VALIDATION

The developer confirmed the Hide actions and other browser behavior work in Python source mode, and subsequently reported that the release workflow was working. Verify the installed DMG, fullscreen Hide commands, menu accents, signing, and notarization before publication.