Website review
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What is Mue?
Mue is a free, open-source browser extension that replaces the default new tab page with a customizable one built around productivity and wellbeing. Instead of a blank tab, it shows a background you choose, motivational quotes, and widgets. It runs on Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Whale, and the project has been maintained since 2018.
What it actually gives you
- Backgrounds: a curated in-house photo library, your own images, or community-made packs from a Marketplace.
- Quotes: multi-language quote packs, including movie quotes and memes, with more available in the Marketplace.
- Privacy posture: no tracking, data stored on the device, and the code is public on GitHub. The project reports 50+ collaborators and 700+ GitHub stars.
Who it suits
- People who open dozens of tabs a day and want a calm, personal starting point rather than a search box on white.
- Users who care about open source and local-only data storage.
- Tinkerers who want to suggest features or contribute code through GitHub.
Trade-offs to weigh
- A decorated new tab adds a small amount of visual load; if you want the fastest possible blank tab, a plain one wins.
- Customization means setup time—picking packs and widgets—before it feels right.
- Community Marketplace content varies in quality compared with the in-house selection.
A useful next step: install it, keep the default background and one quote pack for a week, then decide whether widgets earn their place on your tab. If you want to compare alternatives, Chrome Web Store extension listings show similar new-tab tools.
How does Mue keep my new tab data private and secure?
Mue's privacy model rests on three claims from its own page: it is open-source, it contains no tracking, and all data stays on your device and is never shared without your consent. There is no personal data collection described.
What that means in practice
- Open source on GitHub. The code is publicly available, so anyone with the skills can inspect what the extension actually does rather than trusting a description. The page notes 50+ collaborators and 700+ GitHub stars, which suggests active community review.
- On-device storage. Your settings, chosen backgrounds and quote preferences are stored locally in the browser rather than synced to a Mue server. For a typical user, that means uninstalling the extension removes the data with it.
- No tracking. The page states there is no tracking and no personal data collection, so your new-tab habits are not being profiled for advertising or analytics.
A concrete scenario
If you use a shared or work machine and set a personal photo as your background, on-device storage is the relevant detail: the image is not uploaded anywhere by Mue, but it does live in your browser profile, so anyone using the same profile could see it. Clearing the browser profile or removing the extension is the practical cleanup step.
Where to verify rather than assume
The strongest check is the source itself: browse the repository and issue tracker at GitHub to see how data handling is implemented and whether privacy-related issues have been raised. If you want to compare approaches, Chrome Web Store listings show each extension's stated data-use disclosures, which is a useful cross-check against a developer's own page.
Decision criterion: if you need an auditable privacy story, treat "open source plus on-device storage" as a good starting point but confirm it in the code; if you mainly want convenience, the no-tracking and local-storage design is already a reasonable default for a new-tab page.
How do I install Mue on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Whale?
Install Mue from your browser's own extension store, then open a new tab to confirm the custom page appears. The official site lists support for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Whale, and its "Get Started" path points to the relevant store listing. Because Mue is open-source and stores data on your device, there is no account setup step in the described workflow.
Practical steps
- Open the extension gallery for your browser: Chrome Web Store, Microsoft Edge Add-ons, Firefox Add-ons, or Whale's extension store.
- Search for "Mue" and check that the listing matches the project at Mue before installing.
- Add the extension and accept any permission prompt the browser shows.
- Open a new tab. If your old new-tab page still appears, check the extension's settings or your browser's new-tab settings.
- Optionally visit the Marketplace from the new tab to choose background and quote packs.
Choosing your browser
| Browser | Where to install | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Chrome Web Store | Most common route; sign in to sync the extension across devices |
| Edge | Edge Add-ons | Edge can also install from the Chrome Web Store if the listing is unavailable |
| Firefox | Firefox Add-ons | Firefox may ask you to confirm new-tab override permissions |
| Whale | Whale extension store | Less common outside Korea; confirm the listing is the official Mue entry |
If you want to verify the project first, the site links to its GitHub repository, where you can review code, open issues and see community activity before installing.
A useful next step: after installing, set one preferred background pack and one quote pack, then leave the rest at defaults. That keeps the new tab fast and makes it easier to tell whether the extension suits your daily routine.
Can I customize Mue with my own backgrounds and quotes, or do I need to use the built-in library?
Yes. Mue supports both your own content and the built-in library. You can add your own background images, and the quote system has multiple packs in several languages, so you are not limited to a single default set. The page also mentions a Marketplace for community packs, which suggests you can install additional background and quote collections rather than relying only on the in-house selection.
Practical implications
- Backgrounds: choosing your own image is the most direct way to make the new tab feel personal; the in-house photography selection is a fallback when you do not want to hunt for images.
- Quotes: built-in packs cover motivation, humour and wisdom, and the Marketplace adds movie quotes, memes and other community options. If you want a specific tone, check the pack list before assuming the default set fits.
- Data handling: the page states that data is stored on device and that there is no tracking, which matters if your custom backgrounds or quotes are personal.
Decision criterion
If you want a quick, curated look, start with the built-in library. If the new tab is part of your daily workspace and you have specific images or quote styles in mind, plan to use your own backgrounds and browse the Marketplace packs. For a broader comparison of new-tab replacements, see Chrome Web Store listings and GitHub for the open-source project.
How can I contribute to the Mue open-source project on GitHub?
Start by visiting the project's GitHub repository, which the site links as "View Mue on GitHub," and read its contribution guidelines and open issues before changing anything. The page describes a community of 50+ collaborators and invites people to contribute code, suggest ideas, or report issues.
Practical ways to contribute
- Report bugs: Open an issue with your browser and version, steps to reproduce, expected vs. actual behavior, and console errors if available.
- Suggest features: Check existing issues first to avoid duplicates, then describe the use case and who it helps.
- Contribute code: Fork the repo, create a branch, make a focused change, and open a pull request referencing the related issue. Keep pull requests small and explain the reasoning.
- Improve translations or content: The site mentions quote packs in multiple languages and community background packs in the Marketplace, so localization and content contributions fit the project's model.
- Help with documentation or triage: Clarifying setup steps or reproducing reported bugs is useful work that doesn't require deep familiarity with the codebase.
A sensible first step
Pick one small, well-scoped issue labeled for newcomers, or file a clear bug report if you've found a problem. Read the repository's README and any contributing file, since maintainers there set the actual workflow, coding style, and review expectations—the website only states the general invitation.
For context on how similar open-source browser projects organize contributions, you can compare conventions at GitHub or look at how other extension projects document their process, such as Mozilla for extension development guidance.
Does Mue collect any personal data or track my browsing activity?
No. According to Mue's own description, the extension contains no tracking, collects no personal data, and stores all data on your device; nothing is shared without your consent. It is also fully open source, so the claim can be checked rather than taken on trust.
What this means in practice
- Settings and preferences (backgrounds, widgets, quote packs) live locally in your browser rather than on a Mue server.
- No account or sign-in is described, so there is no profile tied to your identity.
- Browsing activity is not described as logged or transmitted. The extension changes the new tab page; it is not presented as a history or analytics tool.
A reasonable next step
If privacy is the deciding factor, open the project's GitHub repository via Mue and look for the privacy policy and the permissions listed in the browser store page. A new-tab extension that asks for broad permissions such as "read and change all your data on all websites" deserves a second look even when its code is public — the permission list tells you what it could access, while the source tells you what it does. For a stricter baseline, compare with a minimalist alternative such as GitHub-hosted open-source tab pages, checking each one's permission scope before installing.
For most people, the combination of on-device storage, no tracking and public source code is a strong privacy position for a cosmetic new-tab tool. The one caveat: features that pull community packs from a Marketplace may involve network requests, so review what the extension fetches if you enable those.
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