Proxy and Privacy Routing
in Owl Browser
Owl Browser does not sell or resell proxy services and has no proxy pool of its own. What it does ship is two privacy routing options built directly into the browser: per-context Tor connections and Owl Sidecar, a free companion app that turns a device you already own into a private exit.
Not a proxy provider
Owl Browser is a browser automation engine. We do not operate a proxy network, sell proxy bandwidth, or provide IP addresses. The routing features described on this page use infrastructure you own or the Tor network, not Olib servers.
Built-in Tor Control
Owl Browser ships with a built-in Tor controller. Each browser context can be given its own independent Tor circuit, so multiple sessions running in parallel get distinct exit nodes and never share identity across contexts. You do not need to install or manage a separate Tor binary; the browser handles the lifecycle automatically.
This is useful for tasks that require geographic diversity or where you want traffic to leave through the Tor network without touching commercial proxy infrastructure. Because the circuit is per-context, closing a context also tears down its circuit, leaving no shared state.
Per-context circuits
Every browser context gets its own Tor circuit. Parallel sessions never share an exit node or mix traffic.
No extra setup
The Tor controller is built into the browser. Activate it when creating a context with a single parameter.
Automatic teardown
Closing a context closes its circuit. There is no residual connection state between sessions.
Owl Sidecar
Owl Sidecar turns a device you already own into a private residential exit for Owl Browser. You install it on a home machine, a VPS, or any server you control, pair it to your Owl account with a short code, and your browser can route contexts through that device. The traffic goes directly from the browser to the sidecar. It never passes through Olib servers.
Because the exit is a device you own running on a connection you control, the traffic looks like an ordinary connection from that location. The sidecar opens a normal outbound connection to each target and forwards raw bytes, preserving the browser's own TLS handshake end to end. There is no added header, no rewrite, and nothing on the wire that marks the traffic as proxied.
How the connection works
- Peer to peer. The browser and the sidecar connect directly. Olib runs a small coordination service to help the two sides find each other, then steps out of the path. Your data never touches Olib servers.
- No open ports required. The sidecar makes an outbound connection only. It works from a home network behind NAT with no port forwarding needed.
- Paired to your account. A device is usable only by browsers signed in to the same Owl account. A key is generated on the device during pairing and never leaves it.
- You stay in control. Enable, disable, or remove a device from the portal at any time. The sidecar app lets you pause or unpair without uninstalling.
Supported platforms
macOS
Apple Silicon (arm64)
Signed and notarized by Apple
Windows
x64
Signed installer (.zip)
Linux
x64 and arm64
Headless binary, .deb package, or install script
Free, open-source, and available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Bring Your Own Proxy
If you already have a proxy subscription from a third-party provider, Owl Browser accepts standard HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 proxies. You can set a proxy per context so that different automation sessions use different exit addresses, all managed from the same browser engine.
See the browser_set_proxy and browser_connect_proxy documentation for configuration details.