BrowSync

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BrowSync is a cross-browser routing and sync hub for macOS. It unites Safari and all Chromium-based browsers, intelligently routing links and syncing bookmarks and sessions in real-time.

brew install --cask chentao1006/tap/browsync

Important

Local Execution BrowSync's synchronization and URL routing happen locally on your device via a WebSocket daemon. Browsing data (bookmarks, cookies, local storage, active tabs) is stored on your machine without external server involvement.

🚀 Features

• URL Routing: Register BrowSync as the default macOS browser to direct links to specific browsers based on domain, URL patterns, query strings, source application, or time of day.
• Bookmark Sync: Sync bookmarks in real-time across Safari and all Chromium-based browsers.
• State Sync: Sync Cookies, LocalStorage, and sessionStorage across supported browsers to maintain login states.
• Tab Sharing: View active tabs across browsers. It filters out incognito tabs and non-HTTP(S) local pages, and deduplicates URLs.
• Sync Strategies: Supports unidirectional (master-slave), last-write-wins (based on access time), and bidirectional merging.
• Site Control: Manage sync scope with whitelist/blacklist rules and per-site policies.
• Local Network: Communication is handled locally via a WebSocket daemon (ws://127.0.0.1:62333). No external servers are used.
• Native macOS App: Built with SwiftUI. Supports Dark/Light themes, Menu Bar integration, and Launch at Login.
• iCloud Sync: Automatically sync your routing rules, settings, and site preferences across all your Mac devices via iCloud.

📸 Screenshots

🛠 Installation & Setup

1. Requirements

Tool	Version
macOS	14.0+
Xcode	15.0+
Swift	5.10+
Homebrew	Latest
XcodeGen	2.40+

2. Homebrew Cask

You can install BrowSync with Homebrew:

brew install --cask chentao1006/tap/browsync

Or tap the repository first:

brew tap chentao1006/tap
brew install --cask browsync

3. Build from Source

# 1. Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/chentao1006/browsync.git
cd browsync

# 2. Generate Xcode project using XcodeGen
xcodegen generate

# 3. Open the generated project
open BrowSync.xcodeproj

Then in Xcode:

1. Select the BrowSync target → Signing & Capabilities
2. Set your Development Team
3. Press ⌘R to build and run

4. Install Browser Extension

Chromium-based Browsers: You can install the BrowSync extension directly from the Chrome Web Store: Install from Chrome Web Store

Safari: The app includes a native Safari extension. After running the BrowSync app, you can enable it directly in Safari's Settings -> Extensions.

🔍 Architecture & Protocol

System Architecture

Safari Extension                Chromium Extension
      │                                    │
      └──────────── WebSocket ─────────────┘
                         │
                  BrowSync Daemon
              ws://127.0.0.1:62333
                         │
                   BrowSync App
              (macOS native, SwiftUI)

Directory Structure

BrowSync/
├── BrowSync/                   # macOS App (Swift/SwiftUI)
│   ├── App/                    # Entry point, AppState
│   ├── Views/                  # Multi-tab UI (Browsers, Rules, Sync)
│   ├── Core/                   # DaemonServer, BrowserScanner, BrowserLauncher
│   ├── Models/                 # Data models (Browser, Rule, SyncModels, WSMessage)
│   ├── Services/               # RulesEngine, SyncService, SettingsService
│   └── Resources/              # Info.plist, Localizable.strings (en + zh-Hans)
│
├── BrowSyncExtension/          # Safari Web Extension target
│   ├── SafariWebExtensionHandler.swift
│   └── Resources/
│       ├── manifest.json
│       ├── background.js       # WebSocket client, bookmark/cookie/tab sharing
│       ├── content.js          # localStorage/sessionStorage proxy
│       ├── popup.html
│       └── popup.js
│
├── ChromiumExtension/          # Shared MV3 extension (Chromium-based)
│   ├── manifest.json
│   ├── background/
│   │   └── service-worker.js   # Same logic as Safari background.js
│   ├── content/
│   │   └── content-script.js
│   ├── popup/
│   │   ├── popup.html
│   │   └── popup.js
│   └── _locales/
│       ├── en/messages.json
│       └── zh_CN/messages.json
│
├── project.yml                 # XcodeGen configuration
├── BrowSync.entitlements       # App entitlements (Sandbox: NO)
├── package.sh                  # Script to package the app
├── release.sh                  # Script to automate releases
├── test.sh                     # Script to run tests
├── index.html                  # Landing page
└── privacy.html                # Privacy policy

WebSocket Protocol

All browser extensions connect to the BrowSync daemon at ws://127.0.0.1:62333.

• Registration: { "type": "register", "browser": "chrome", "instanceId": "chrome-main" }
• Heartbeat (every 30s): { "type": "heartbeat" }
• Sync:

{
  "type": "sync",
  "browser": "safari",
  "site": "chatgpt.com",
  "category": "bookmarks",
  "payload": { "kind": "bookmarks", "bookmarks": [...] },
  "messageId": "uuid",
  "timestamp": 1234567890
}

📁 Data Directory & Identifiers

BrowSync stores its data locally in your Application Support folder:

~/Library/Application Support/BrowSync/
├── sites/          # Per-site sync state
├── bookmarks/      # Synced bookmark snapshots
├── logs/           # sync-YYYY-MM-DD.log
└── settings.json   # All app settings

Bundle IDs:

• App: com.ct106.browsync
• Safari Extension: com.ct106.browsync.extension
• App Group: group.com.ct106.browsync

🎯 Feature Status (MVP)

Feature	Status
Browser detection & extension status	✅
WebSocket Daemon	✅
URL routing rules & Default browser handling	✅
Bookmark real-time sync	✅
localStorage & sessionStorage cross-browser sync	✅
Cookie cross-browser sync	✅
Real-time Tab Sharing (w/ deduplication & privacy filter)	✅
Granular site sync control	✅
Safari & Chromium MV3 Extensions	✅
Dark/Light/System theme & EN/zh-Hans localization	✅
iCloud Sync for rules and settings	✅

⚠️ Important Notes

• Default Browser: To utilize the URL routing feature, BrowSync must be set as your default system browser in macOS Settings.

🛡 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE.