Make Browser Privacy Mode an extension feature, instead of app feature

Kai

This is kinda an inbetween a bug report and a suggestion:

Maybe you should change the wording for the Browser Privacy Mode setting.

Atm it does say "Hides searches in your browser's history by using POST requests. Query will not be shown in page title and you won't be able to go 'back' to a previous search."

But that's not 100% accurate in all cases.
While it does work if you use the Kagi page directly it doesn't hold true for when you input the query into the browser address bar.

At least in Firefox queries you type into the address bar still show up in the browser history. (I assume it just grabs the URL before getting redirected to the post version)

Maybe change it to something like "Hides searches in your browser's history by using POST requests. Query will not be shown in page title and you won't be able to go 'back' to a previous search. Note: This only applies to search queries that are directly executed through the kagi.com search form" or something like that.

Vlad

Kai The text was already too long, and this makes it even longer. Any shorter equivalent. Do we need this option at all?

z64

Kai / @Vlad

But that's not 100% accurate in all cases.
While it does work if you use the Kagi page directly it doesn't hold true for when you input the query into the browser address bar.

Hypothetically, we can support this with our extension.

Another option is to remove it from the app, but keep it in the extension, as that would be the only way for full coverage as intended.

Kai

Vlad
I mean the option itself is kind of nice but since you can't reliably force this maybe not.

Question is what you guys envisioned when you first implemented it, cause the way it stands now it's somewhat "useless" since it's not doing what it says it is in probably most searches (You'd have to know how many people actually type search into their address bar vs on site search, I'd imagine A LOT of people use the address bar though)

Vlad

Kai I think we copied the option originally from other search engines (I think DDG has it, it is called use POST instead of GET) without putting too much thought into it. I am guessing they have the same problem?

80% of use comes from address bar and we can not control that, which is why I think that removing this option is the right thing. What say you?

Kai

Vlad Yeah they do seem to have the same problem, they don't even reqirect to POST after you open it via address bar.

So yeah IMO it's borderline useless and can be removed, would be interesting to get some perspective of someone who thinks it should stay and for what reason though.

Kai

z64
I feel that might be the best solution then tbh.
People that still want it can use the extension and it's not accidentally going to leak anything (just make sure it keeps working with the on site form in that case)

You'd just have to mention where to find that option though in that case, otherwise people probably won't be aware