Moving work to the browser

It’s best to use two separate computers — one for work and one for personal stuff. This is the easiest way to protect your privacy and put work behind when you clock out. Especially if you work remotely.

But say that you’re among over half of people who either use their work devices for personal tasks — or the other way around.

That was me a few months ago. Even though I was pretty deep into the privacy and security rabbit hole, I was using my MacBook for virtually everything.

I had two excuses.

My boss doesn’t use any spyware to track me. The most privacy-invasive service on my laptop is Google Workspace. There are no pre-installed apps. Everyone’s free to use whatever tools they’re the most productive with.

When I joined the company, I saw that people had both work and personal apps installed on their machines. So, without thinking too much about it, I did the same.

Also, as a naive follower of the designers never stop working cult, I believed that I couldn't (or shouldn’t) cut short my creative flow just because it’s past 5 p.m. “Inspiration doesn’t care about my work–life balance” — so I must keep my design tools open 24/7, even when I'm binging YouTube on the weekend.

That’s not right

As you might have guessed, that approach was a disaster. It was impossible to disconnect from work. Furiously red notification dots were constantly screaming for my attention, and my habits were too strong to ignore them.

My journey towards better privacy was being sabotaged — and I was the one to blame. Even though I hardened Firefox and configured my firewall (with the help from Little Snitch), Zoom was sitting on my disk like it’s never had any issues. In my mind, I was savvy — but in reality, I wasn't practicing the basics.

On a related note, my work-related apps didn’t function properly in my privacy-first setup. For example: because Firefox is a non-Chromium browser, I had to apologize for audio and video glitches every time I joined a meeting via Google Meet (a common bug that’s part of a bigger problem).

I also had a preference for desktop apps, so I was using Apple’s native email and calendar clients. And that really worked like garbage. Rescheduling events always resulted in some sort of conflict, and I was missing out on great features.

Moving work to the browser

Time for a change. Ideally, I was looking for an alternative to getting another laptop. And then it hit me — I’m moving my work to the browser.

What I’ve realized is that all the apps I use at work are Electron-based. They’re not built for a specific platform and its respective technology (like Swift for macOS). Instead, they’re developed with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and are rendered with some version of Chromium — the dominant browser project that powers Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, and many more.

What it means (and this is an oversimplification) is that these apps work the same in a browser and as a “desktop” app because it’s all Chromium anyway.

So, I can move all of them from my desktop to the browser, therefore creating a separate container that’s dedicated just for work. I can open it with a single click, while everything else on my laptop remains personal.

Before we move though

A few quick disclaimers.

1. This advice is highly subjective. If you’re using desktop-only apps like Adobe After Effects, this isn’t gonna work.

2. You can’t have absolute privacy. The sweet spot between privacy, security, and convenience is based on your threat model. Mine may be different from yours, and what works for me may not work for you.

3. If you have to use some kind of bossware, just get a dedicated computer for peace of mind. It’s also a no-brainer if your contract gives your employer ownership over any IP you produce on the designated devices.

My work browser

All that's left to do is to choose a browser for work. For compatibility reasons, I knew that I had to go with something Chromium-based.

At first, I chose Brave. I was already familiar with its built-in ad blocker and solid privacy features. Everything worked well, but after test-driving it for about two weeks, I switched.

Arc, The Browser Company's mysterious project, had been revealed to the world. And it was around the time I was moving my work to the browser that I got access to it. Although I was hesitant at first, I slowly got the hype — they’re really reinventing the way we think about browsers. Features like Favorite Tabs or Spaces may not sound novel — but their execution sets them apart.

From a privacy standpoint, I can’t say much about them at this point. In their straightforward Privacy Policy, they claim to respect users data. They also seem to have reasonable monetization ideas. But beyond the promises, I haven’t found a reliable source to dispel my doubts.

What I enjoy about this setup

Better privacy

Before switching, I used to use the same browser for all my Internet activities. It aggregated my whole browsing history and cookies. It was easy for the websites I visited to identify me because I had the same fingerprint for all of them.

Now, I use Arc with good enough privacy settings (that don’t break websites) while my personal browser(s) are fully hardened. I never mix them — so when I’m sharing my screen at a stand-up, no one is looking at my personal bookmarks.

Also, apps that run in your browser can get less information about you than their desktop versions. Your browser creates an extra layer of protection, making it harder for web apps to create a complete profile about you without permissions.

Any work–life balance

I finally got some sort of separation between my work and personal digital spaces. Previously, all my messages, notifications, and projects were floating around my desktop at all times. Now, opening and closing Arc feels like walking in and out of the office. When I’m not working, I just ignore its icon idling in the dock.

Sharper focus

When I launch Arc, it means work time. It opens my tabs exactly as I left them the day before, so I don’t have to rearrange my workspace every morning. Switching between them with Ctrl + Tab is way faster than shuffling through spaces on my desktop. And except of a house playlist in the background, all my personal apps are closed — which makes me less distracted.

Improved reliability

No matter how many new clients come out, Gmail and Google Calendar work the best in the browser. You can take the advantage of all the shortcuts, latest features, and integrations, while the delays and sync errors are non-existent. I haven't had any technical problems since switching from Apple's clients.

Also — though this is anecdotal evidence — some Electron apps seem to be less buggy when running in the browser. Whenever someone has trouble with applying styles in Figma or editing documents in Notion, I suggest they try again in their browser — and it usually helps.

Is this the best setup?

Absolutely not. In fact, I’d call it more of a workaround than an ideal solution, really. While it works for me (for now), if that’s not what you’re looking for, here’s what you can do:

1. Buy a separate laptop (or other device). It’s the most expensive and time-consuming option, but once you commit, you have nothing to worry about.

2. Set up a separate user account. This is great if you need more separation and you can’t do all your work in the browser.

3. Run a virtual machine. It’s like you’d open a separate desktop environment inside what looks like another application window. It’s a solid compromise if you always need an isolated instance opened in the background.

4. Carry a live USB. This is too inconvenient for most people — but you can boot an operating system from a USB stick. Just plug it into a compatible machine, and you’re ready to go.

Update: I recently started a new job and decided to get a personal laptop. I think my suggestion is still valid, but wanted to be open about whether I'm following it. I'm still loving Arc though.