Sidekick is a Chromium-based browser for work with interesting features

Martin Brinkmann
Dec 6, 2020
Updated • Dec 7, 2020
Internet
|
19

Sidekick is a web browser that is based on Chromium that is designed specifically for Internet workers. While it can be used by anyone, its feature-set has been designed with users in mind that spend most of the workday on the Internet and in Internet applications.

There are numerous Chromium-based web browsers available currently. Some of them major, e.g. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Brave, or Opera, and a lot of them minor. New browsers need to bring something to the table that distinguishes them from the established browsers; no one would switch just because a browser is new, but if it would offer something of interest, it would become more likely.

Sidekick is a free for personal use browser that is somewhat limited. The maker, PushPlayLabs Inc, based in San Francisco, promises that it will never sell user data, respect user privacy, keep user searches private, and do its best to block data-grabbing ads and trackers.

All versions of the web browser include an ad-blocker, support for Chrome extensions, a tab suspender, and work related features that distinguish the browser from others.

The free version is limited to running five apps in the browser's sidebar, and it lacks support for teams and roles, shared apps and shared passwords.

The user interface looks like that the standard Chromium interface on first glance.

When you open a new tab page for the first time you get an option to sign in using a work account; this is not required but it unlocks one of the browser's major features.

You get options to import data from other browsers (including logins), and you may select applications that you work with. Available for selection are core Internet apps and services such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger.

Sidekick displays apps in the sidebar once you are done setting things up.  The selected apps are listed as icons in the sidebar similarly to how the sidebar in Opera or Vivaldi provide access to web apps.

Direct access is not the only feature that the development team build around the supported apps. Apps supported badges, shortcuts, and also in-app searches that limits the search to the application's history. Searches may also be global to search across all open apps, tabs, and workspaces.

Users who need to access multiple accounts can do so using the browser as the functionality to sign-in to multiple accounts simultaneously is supported by all apps the service supports.

Another unique feature of Sidekick is its support for sessions out of the box. These work differently in Sidekick than in other browsers. Basically, what it does is allow users to save open tabs to sessions and to restore these sessions at a later point in time. Extensions like Tabby for Firefox or Tab Session Manager for Chromium-based browsers offer similar functionality.

Sidekick includes a tab suspender that is designed to reduce memory usage of the browser by automatically suspending tabs that have not been used for a while. The suspension reduces the memory usage of the browser significantly; extensions are available for Firefox and Chromium-based browsers that offer similar functionality, but these are third-party and not built-in.

Sidekick is based on Chromium which ensures that it offers good web compatibility.

Sidekick Pro, Team and Enterprise editions support additional features such as better team management and work options that include sharing passwords or apps. The Enterprise edition adds features such as a built-in VPN, two-factor authentication, built-in video calls, advanced reporting, activity tracking, and advanced browser configurations to the feature set.

Closing Words

Sidekick is designed for users who spend most of the work day on the Internet, e.g. as a social media manager, webmaster, marketing professional, or support agent.

Individual users may benefit from the browser as well, provided that they work with supported applications regularly. Many of the supported features can be added to other browsers by installing extensions. One of the appeals of Sidekick browser is that it provides these features out-of-the box.

The browser is available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems only at the time of writing.

Now You: Have you tried Sidekick? What is your take?

Summary
software image
Author Rating
1star1star1star1stargray
3 based on 14 votes
Software Name
Sidekick
Operating System
Windows, Mac, Linux
Software Category
Internet
Landing Page
Advertisement

Tutorials & Tips


Previous Post: «
Next Post: «

Comments

  1. ilev said on August 4, 2012 at 7:53 pm
    Reply

    Doesn’t Windows 8 know that www. or http:// are passe ?

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on August 4, 2012 at 7:57 pm
      Reply

      Well it is a bit difficulty to distinguish between name.com domains and files for instance.

    2. Leonidas Burton said on September 4, 2023 at 4:51 am
      Reply

      I know a service made by google that is similar to Google bookmarks.
      http://www.google.com/saved

  2. VioletMoon said on August 16, 2023 at 5:26 pm
    Reply

    @Ashwin–Thankful you delighted my comment; who knows how many “gamers” would have disagreed!

  3. Karl said on August 17, 2023 at 10:36 pm
    Reply

    @Martin

    The comments section under this very article (3 comments) is identical to the comments section found under the following article:
    https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/15/netflix-is-testing-game-streaming-on-tvs-and-computers/

    Not sure what the issue is, but have seen this issue under some other articles recently but did not report it back then.

  4. Anonymous said on August 25, 2023 at 11:44 am
    Reply

    Omg a badge!!!
    Some tangible reward lmao.

    It sucks that redditors are going to love the fuck out of it too.

  5. Scroogled said on August 25, 2023 at 10:57 pm
    Reply

    With the cloud, there is no such thing as unlimited storage or privacy. Stop relying on these tech scums. Purchase your own hardware and develop your own solutions.

    1. lollmaoeven said on August 27, 2023 at 6:24 am
      Reply

      This is a certified reddit cringe moment. Hilarious how the article’s author tries to dress it up like it’s anything more than a png for doing the reddit corporation’s moderation work for free (or for bribes from companies and political groups)

  6. El Duderino said on August 25, 2023 at 11:14 pm
    Reply

    Almost al unlmited services have a real limit.

    And this comment is written on the dropbox article from August 25, 2023.

  7. John G. said on August 26, 2023 at 1:29 am
    Reply

    First comment > @ilev said on August 4, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    For the God’s sake, fix the comments soon please! :[

  8. Kalmly said on August 26, 2023 at 4:42 pm
    Reply

    Yes. Please. Fix the comments.

  9. Kim Schmidt said on September 3, 2023 at 3:42 pm
    Reply

    With Google Chrome, it’s only been 1,500 for some time now.

    Anyone who wants to force me in such a way into buying something that I can get elsewhere for free will certainly never see a single dime from my side. I don’t even know how stupid their marketing department is to impose these limits on users instead of offering a valuable product to the paying faction. But they don’t. Even if you pay, you get something that is also available for free elsewhere.

    The algorithm has also become less and less savvy in terms of e.g. English/German translations. It used to be that the bot could sort of sense what you were trying to say and put it into different colloquialisms, which was even fun because it was like, “I know what you’re trying to say here, how about…” Now it’s in parts too stupid to translate the simplest sentences correctly, and the suggestions it makes are at times as moronic as those made by Google Translations.

    If this is a deep-learning AI that learns from users’ translations and the phrases they choose most often – which, by the way, is a valuable, moneys worthwhile contribution of every free user to this project: They invest their time and texts, thereby providing the necessary data for the AI to do the thing as nicely as they brag about it in the first place – alas, the more unprofessional users discovered the translator, the worse the language of this deep-learning bot has become, the greater the aggregate of linguistically illiterate users has become, and the worse the language of this deep-learning bot has become, as it now learns the drivel of every Tom, Dick and Harry out there, which is why I now get their Mickey Mouse language as suggestions: the inane language of people who can barely spell the alphabet, it seems.

    And as a thank you for our time and effort in helping them and their AI learn, they’ve lowered the limit from what was once 5,000 to now 1,500…? A big “fuck off” from here for that! Not a brass farthing from me for this attitude and behaviour, not in a hundred years.

  10. Anonymous said on September 28, 2023 at 8:19 am
    Reply

    When will you put an end to the mess in the comments?

  11. RIP said on September 28, 2023 at 9:36 am
    Reply

    Ghacks comments have been broken for too long. What article did you see this comment on? Reply below. If we get to 20 different articles we should all stop using the site in protest.

    I posted this on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/28/reddit-enforces-user-activity-tracking-on-site-to-push-advertising-revenue/] so please reply if you see it on a different article.

    1. RIP said on September 28, 2023 at 11:01 am
      Reply

      Comment redirected me to [https://www.ghacks.net/2012/08/04/add-search-the-internet-to-the-windows-start-menu/] which seems to be the ‘real’ article it is attached to

  12. RIP said on September 28, 2023 at 10:48 am
    Reply

    Comment redirected me to [https://www.ghacks.net/2012/08/04/add-search-the-internet-to-the-windows-start-menu/] which seems to be the ‘real’ article it is attached to

  13. Mystique said on September 28, 2023 at 12:13 pm
    Reply

    Article Title: Reddit enforces user activity tracking on site to push advertising revenue
    Article URL: https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/28/reddit-enforces-user-activity-tracking-on-site-to-push-advertising-revenue/

    No surprises here. This is just the beginning really. I cannot see a valid reason as to why anyone would continue to use the platform anymore when there are enough alternatives fill that void.

  14. justputthispostanywhere said on September 29, 2023 at 3:59 am
    Reply

    I’m not sure if there is a point in commenting given that comments seem to appear under random posts now, but I’ll try… this comment is for https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/28/reddit-enforces-user-activity-tracking-on-site-to-push-advertising-revenue/

    My temporary “solution”, if you can call it that, is to use a VPN (Mullvad in my case) to sign up for and access Reddit via a European connection. I’m doing that with pretty much everything now, at least until the rest of the world catches up with GDPR. I don’t think GDPR is a magical privacy solution but it’s at least a first step.

Leave a Reply

Check the box to consent to your data being stored in line with the guidelines set out in our privacy policy

We love comments and welcome thoughtful and civilized discussion. Rudeness and personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please stay on-topic.
Please note that your comment may not appear immediately after you post it.