bonjourr.fr

Minimalism in a browser startpage means stripping the new tab page down to the few elements you actually use—usually a clock, a search bar, and a short list of links—while removing feeds, ads, and visual noise. It does not mean removing features. On Bonjourr, a minimalist startpage inspired by iOS design, the clean surface is the default view, and customization (fonts, backgrounds, widgets, dark mode) sits behind settings rather than on the page itself. This explanation is for anyone deciding whether a minimalist startpage fits how they browse, and how to judge one that claims the label.

What makes a startpage minimalist

A startpage is the page your browser opens for a new tab or on launch. Minimalism there is about what appears before you act, not about how much the tool can do.

The visible layer is deliberately small:

• One focal element, typically a clock or greeting, centered with generous empty space.
• A search bar that replaces the browser's default search box.
• A short row of quick links to the sites you open most, instead of a grid of suggested content.
• A background that sets mood without competing for attention.

What is absent matters as much: no news feed, no sponsored tiles, no notification badges, no account prompts on first load.

Why minimalism and features are not opposites

The common misreading is that a minimalist page must be a static, bare page. Bonjourr's own framing rejects this: "minimalism doesn't mean lacking in features." The design principle is separation—the default view stays quiet, and capability lives one layer down.

That shows up in how the page is built:

This is the practical test of whether a startpage is minimalist in spirit: does adding a feature clutter the first screen, or does it wait in settings? A page that shows a dozen widgets by default is a dashboard, not a minimalist startpage, even if each widget is individually simple.

The elements that carry the minimalist look

Dynamic backgrounds. Bonjourr draws on a manually curated set of Unsplash photos whose mood shifts with the time of day, from noon to late night. The background changes the feel of the page without adding interface elements—visual interest with zero interaction cost.

A restrained clock and search. These are the two things most new tabs are opened for. Keeping them central and unadorned is what makes the page feel fast to use.

Quick links instead of a content grid. Links you chose are task-oriented; suggested content is attention-oriented. The distinction is the whole point.

Lightweight construction. A page that loads instantly and does not pull in heavy scripts preserves the feeling of minimalism. Bonjourr describes itself as lightweight and built without generative AI.

Privacy as part of the minimalist idea

Minimalism extends to what the page asks of you. Bonjourr is open source, created by two independent developers, and states that it collects no personal data—you can start using it immediately without creating or logging into an account. A startpage that demands sign-up, syncs your data, or sells attention undermines the "less" it advertises. The project is free and funded by donations, which is worth knowing when you evaluate how it sustains itself.

How to judge a startpage before committing

Use these criteria in order; each is checkable in a few minutes:

1. First-screen count. Open a new tab. Count the distinct interactive elements. More than roughly five competing for attention is a signal the page is a portal, not a startpage.
2. Settings depth. Look for font, background, clock, and widget options. If they exist but are off the main view, the design separates minimalism from capability correctly.
3. Load behavior. Reload the tab and watch whether content shifts or ads appear. A lightweight page settles immediately.
4. Account requirement. Try using it without signing in. If the core page works, the tool respects the "less" premise.
5. Data posture. Check whether the project is open source and states a privacy position you can verify, rather than only claiming one.

Where it fits and where it does not

A minimalist startpage suits people who open new tabs to search or jump to a known site and want that moment to be calm and fast. It fits less well if you rely on a new tab for news, dashboards, or at-a-glance metrics—those needs call for a portal-style page, and forcing them into a minimalist layout just moves the clutter into bookmarks.

One caveat from Bonjourr's own updates: the Safari version is being discontinued due to high maintenance costs and low usage, so Safari users should confirm current availability before relying on it. For other browsers, the page offers install options and an online trial, which is the simplest way to test the criteria above without committing.

Go directly to rte.ie in any browser to reach the official RTÉ homepage. That single address is the entry point to RTÉ's Irish and international news, its live TV and radio streams, and the broadcaster's other services. No account or app is required to browse the site; you only need a working internet connection and a browser.

Reaching the homepage

• Type rte.ie into the address bar and press Enter. The site resolves to RTÉ's main homepage.
• If you search instead, look for the result labeled RTÉ Ireland's National Television and Radio Broadcaster and confirm the domain reads rte.ie before clicking.
• Bookmark the page once you're there so you skip search results on future visits.

What the homepage gives you

The homepage is a hub rather than a single article. From it you can:

• Read breaking news — top Irish and world headlines are surfaced on the front page, with up-to-the-minute reports on breaking Irish stories and international news.
• Watch and listen — RTÉ's video and audio streams for Irish news stories are reachable from the site, so live and on-demand TV and radio content sit alongside the written coverage.
• Move into sections — navigation leads to areas such as News, Sport, Entertainment, and Player, letting you go straight to the coverage you want instead of scrolling the front page.

Confirming you're on the official site

Because news brands attract lookalike pages, check two things before trusting a page:

1. The domain is exactly rte.ie — not a variation with extra words, hyphens, or a different ending.
2. The page identifies itself as RTÉ, Ireland's national television and radio broadcaster.

If either check fails, go back and enter rte.ie directly rather than following the link.

Common snags

• Search ads and aggregators can appear above the real result. The domain check is what separates them.
• Live streams may sit behind the Player section rather than the front page, so if you don't see a stream immediately, navigate to Player.
• Regional redirects or consent prompts can appear on first visit; these don't change the underlying address, which should still read rte.ie.

Once you're on rte.ie, everything else — headlines, live streams, and section navigation — is one click away.

A browser startpage is the page you see when you open a new tab or launch your browser, and you can replace the default with a custom one like Bonjourr either by installing a browser extension or by changing your browser's homepage and new tab settings. The extension route is the most common for new tab replacement because most browsers don't let you set a custom new tab page through settings alone. Bonjourr is a free, open-source option that requires no account and collects no personal data, according to its site.

Startpage vs. homepage vs. new tab page

These three terms get used interchangeably, but they're different settings:

A "startpage" product like Bonjourr typically replaces the new tab page, which is why it ships as an extension.

How to set up a custom startpage

Option 1: Install a new tab extension (recommended for most people)

1. Check your browser's extension store. Bonjourr lists install options for multiple browsers on its site, including a "Try online" demo so you can preview it before installing.
2. Install the extension from your browser's official add-on store. Installing from the official store is the safer route than sideloading files.
3. Open a new tab to confirm the extension has taken over the page.
4. Customize it through the extension's settings — for Bonjourr, that includes fonts, backgrounds, clock style, widgets, quick links, and a search bar.

Expected result: every new tab opens your chosen startpage instead of the browser default.

Option 2: Change your homepage in browser settings

1. Open your browser's settings and find the homepage or "on startup" section.
2. Enter the URL of the page you want (for Bonjourr, use the online demo URL or your installed extension's page).
3. Save and test by clicking the Home button.

This changes the homepage but usually not the new tab page — so if your goal is a new tab replacement, use Option 1.

What to look for in a startpage

• Customization: backgrounds, clock format, fonts, search bar, quick links, widgets. Bonjourr offers all of these plus notes, checkboxes, a Pomodoro timer, dark mode, and custom CSS.
• Weight and speed: a startpage loads every time you open a tab, so a lightweight one matters. Bonjourr describes itself as minimalist and lightweight.
• Privacy: check whether the startpage requires an account or collects data. Bonjourr states it collects no personal data and needs no login.
• Open source: useful if you want to verify claims or self-host. Bonjourr is open source.
• No generative AI: Bonjourr explicitly states it doesn't use generative AI — relevant if that's a preference for you.

Trying Bonjourr as an example

Bonjourr is built by two independent developers and funded by donations (via Ko-Fi), which is why it's free without data collection. Its dynamic backgrounds come from a curated Unsplash collection that shifts with the time of day. To evaluate it:

1. Use the "Try online" demo on bonjourr.fr to preview the layout.
2. Install the extension for your browser from the official store.
3. Adjust settings to match your preferences; if you don't like it, disable or remove the extension and your original new tab returns.

One caveat from Bonjourr's own updates: the Safari App Store version is being discontinued due to maintenance costs and low usage, so Safari users should check the site for the current recommended install method before committing.

Common snags

• New tab didn't change: some browsers require you to enable the extension's new tab override in the extension's settings or in browser settings.
• Homepage changed but new tabs didn't: these are separate settings; use an extension for new tab replacement.
• Multiple new tab extensions: only one can control the new tab page; disable the others.

A browser extension is a small software package that adds features or changes how your browser behaves — for example, blocking ads, managing passwords, or translating pages. You install one by adding it from your browser's official store (Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, or Safari Extensions), then reviewing the permissions it requests before confirming. The term "extension" is now the standard word across major browsers, though "addon" is still common in Firefox and "plugin" refers to something older and different.

Extension, addon, plugin: what's the difference?

These three words get used loosely, but they describe different things:

The practical takeaway: when a site says "addon" or "extension," it usually means the same kind of installable package. When you see "plugin," it's often an outdated term — modern browsers have phased out the plugin model, so most things you install today are extensions.

MyBrowserAddon describes itself as a community for open-source projects, housing documentation, tutorials, FAQs, and bug-report forms for browser-based projects (add-ons, plug-ins, and similar). That makes it a useful reference point if you want to understand how these projects are documented and maintained — but it is not itself a browser store, so you still install extensions through your browser's official channel.

How to find and check an extension before installing

1. Search the official store. Use your browser's built-in store — Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, Microsoft Edge Add-ons, or Safari Extensions. Avoid random download sites, which are a common source of bundled malware.
2. Read the listing, not just the name. Check the developer, the number of users, the last-updated date, and the description. A popular extension that hasn't been updated in years is a risk.
3. Look at the permissions. This is the most important step. The listing shows what the extension can access. Ask whether each permission makes sense for what it claims to do.
4. Check reviews critically. Look for patterns in negative reviews (e.g., "started injecting ads," "slowed my browser") rather than trusting the star rating alone.

Reading permissions: what to watch for

• "Read and change all your data on all websites" — very broad. Fine for an ad blocker or password manager, suspicious for a simple calculator or theme.
• "Read your browsing history" — only some extensions genuinely need this.
• Access to specific sites — narrower and generally safer than all-sites access.
• Clipboard, downloads, or form data access — question whether the feature requires it.

If a permission seems unrelated to the extension's purpose, that's a reason to skip it.

Installing and managing an extension

The exact clicks differ by browser, but the flow is the same:

1. Open the extension's page in your browser's official store.
2. Click the install button (labeled "Add to Chrome," "Add to Firefox," etc.).
3. A prompt appears listing the permissions. Read it, then confirm.
4. The extension icon usually appears in your toolbar. Some run silently in the background.

To verify it's working: check the toolbar icon, or open the extension's own settings page. If nothing seems to happen, the extension may need you to configure it first, or it may only activate on certain sites.

To manage or remove it:

• Chrome/Edge: go to the extensions page (chrome://extensions or edge://extensions), where you can toggle, update, or remove each one.
• Firefox: open about:addons to enable, disable, or remove add-ons.
• Safari: manage extensions in Safari's settings under the Extensions tab.

Disabling is a good first test if your browser slows down or behaves oddly — if the problem stops, the extension was likely the cause.

Warning signs of an unsafe extension

• It asks for far more permissions than its purpose requires.
• It was recently sold or changed owners (common with extensions that later turn malicious).
• It injects ads, changes your search engine, or redirects you without asking.
• It has no privacy policy, or the developer is anonymous with no track record.
• It's only available from a third-party download site, not an official store.

If you suspect an extension is malicious, remove it immediately, then check your browser's search and homepage settings — some extensions change these and they can persist after removal.

A note on open-source extensions

Open-source extensions publish their source code, which means anyone can inspect what the code actually does. MyBrowserAddon frames this transparency as a core benefit: because the code is viewable, it can build trust and make it easier to understand how the software functions. If you're choosing between two extensions that do the same job, an open-source one with an active community is often the safer bet — not because closed-source is automatically unsafe, but because the code can be independently checked.

FAQ

Is an addon the same as an extension? In Firefox, "add-on" is the general term that includes extensions. In practice, when people say addon they usually mean extension.

Are browser extensions free? Many are, but not all — some require payment or a subscription. Check the store listing for pricing; don't assume free.

Can an extension see my passwords? Only if it has permission to read page data or form fields. That's why you should only grant such access to extensions you trust, ideally from known developers.

How do I know an extension is safe? Install from the official store, check the permissions against the stated purpose, prefer actively maintained and (ideally) open-source projects, and remove anything that starts behaving unexpectedly.

Startpage is a privacy-focused search engine that returns Google's search results through a proxy, so you get Google-quality results without Google tracking your query or IP address. Use it when you want Google's index but not Google's data collection. You can search directly at startpage.com, or use a "Let Me StartPage That For You" (LMSPTFY) link to share a pre-filled search with someone else. The main trade-offs: some features (like instant answers or personalized results) behave differently than on Google, and the site relies on JavaScript for certain functions.

What Startpage actually does

Startpage doesn't run its own web index. Instead, it sends your query to Google on your behalf and strips out the identifying information before returning results. That means:

• Results come from Google, so relevance and coverage generally match what you'd see on Google.
• Your search isn't tied to your Google account or profile. Startpage acts as an intermediary, so Google sees the request as coming from Startpage rather than from you.
• No search history is stored on your activity in the way a logged-in Google session would.

This is the core reason people pick Startpage over Google: they want the index, not the tracking.

How to run a search on Startpage

1. Go to startpage.com in your browser.
2. Type your query into the search box and submit it.
3. Read the results page. You'll see standard web results, plus options to filter by web, images, videos, or news depending on what's available.
4. Open results as usual. Startpage may route you through a redirect so the destination site doesn't see Google as the referrer.

If you want to share a search rather than perform it yourself, tools like LMSPTFY generate a link that opens Startpage with your query already filled in. The LMSPTFY page notes you need JavaScript enabled to share your search, and it offers a shortened URL or a preview of the search before you send it.

Startpage vs. DuckDuckGo vs. Google

The practical difference: if a result only exists well in Google's index, Startpage is more likely to surface it than DuckDuckGo. If you specifically want to avoid Google's index entirely, DuckDuckGo is the alternative.

When to choose Startpage

• You rely on Google's results but don't want your queries tied to your identity.
• You're doing research where Google's coverage matters more than avoiding Google altogether.
• You want a quick, no-account search that behaves close to Google.

Choose DuckDuckGo instead if avoiding Google's index is itself the goal, or if you prefer its instant answers and app integrations.

Common issues and fixes

• JavaScript required. Some Startpage and sharing features (like LMSPTFY's share function) won't work with JavaScript disabled. Enable JavaScript for the site if a button or preview does nothing.
• Blocked or missing results. Privacy extensions, aggressive ad blockers, or a VPN can occasionally interfere with redirects. Try disabling the extension for the site or switching networks.
• Redirects feel slow. Because Startpage proxies results, clicks may pass through a redirect. This is normal and part of how it hides your referrer.
• Results look different from Google. Instant answers, shopping panels, and personalized results may not appear the same way, since Startpage isn't your logged-in Google session.

A quick example

Suppose you want to send a colleague a search for "GDPR data retention rules" without them retyping it. Using an LMSPTFY-style link, you enter the query, generate the URL, and send it. When they open it, Startpage loads with that query already in the box, and they can run it privately. If the share button doesn't respond, JavaScript is the usual culprit.