Arcrawls: The Context-Aware Browser Pet

Arcrawls is a context-aware browser pet for Chrome - a modern take on classic desktop companions like Shimeji, with real reactions, spring physics, and optional 100% local AI. Unlike pure sprite walkers or cloud chat toys, Arcrawls reads safe page signals on your active tab and reacts in real time: moods, animations, debugger mode on console errors, sleep when you idle, and more. Your browsing content is not sent to a cloud LLM. Privacy-first by design. ✦ WHAT YOU GET • Context-aware reactions Reacts to site type, page signals, typing, scrolling, idle time, and page errors - not a random loop. • Spring physics crawling Walks and settles along the edges of your viewport with smooth, hardware-accelerated motion. • 140+ animations & costumes Emotions, outfits, and unlocks as you pet, feed, and level up. • Lite Mode (default) Lightweight local rules. ~10 MB Chrome Web Store download. No model download. No API keys. • Brain Upgrade (optional local AI) On-device DistilBERT via ONNX + Chrome Gemini Nano when available. One-time model fetch only if you opt in. Inference stays on your device. • Focus, Ghost & Performance modes Ghost Mode fades Arcrawls while you type or scroll. Focus Mode reduces distraction. Performance Mode helps older machines. • Virtual pet progression XP, levels, happiness/energy-style stats, schedule planner, and a full options dashboard. • Open source Inspect the code. Free forever for personal use. No subscription. ✦ WHY IT IS DIFFERENT Most browser pets are either: 1) Cute only (no page understanding), or 2) “AI pets” that depend on cloud APIs. Arcrawls aims for a third path: context-aware + fun + local-first privacy. - Zero cloud browsing data as a product rule - Single shared AI worker (not one model per tab) - Physics freezes on hidden tabs to save CPU ✦ INSTALL SIZE (HONEST) • Chrome Web Store package: about 10 MB compressed • On disk after install: about 22–25 MB (assets + bundled ONNX WASM) • Lite Mode: works immediately, no network model download • Brain Upgrade: optional one-time ~67 MB DistilBERT weights into browser storage - still on-device after download ✦ HOW TO USE (30 SECONDS) 1. Install Arcrawls and open a normal website (not chrome:// pages). 2. Watch him crawl the edge of the viewport. 3. Double-click to feed. Click to open chat / pet. Right-click to shoo. 4. Open the popup for modes, toys, and options. 5. Optional: enable Brain Upgrade only if you want deeper on-device sentiment. ✦ PERFECT FOR • Developers who miss Shimeji but want something smarter • Privacy-conscious users who will not send tabs to a cloud AI • Anyone who wants a chrome browser pet that can stay out of the way (Ghost / Focus) ✦ LINKS Website: https://arcrawls.com Features: https://arcrawls.com/features How it works: https://arcrawls.com/how-it-works Install help: https://arcrawls.com/install FAQ: https://arcrawls.com/faq Compare vs Shimeji: https://arcrawls.com/compare Docs: https://arcrawls.com/docs Privacy: https://arcrawls.com/privacy GitHub: https://github.com/fujiDevv/context-aware-browser-pet Support / bugs: https://github.com/fujiDevv/context-aware-browser-pet/issues ✦ PRIVACY Arcrawls uses local signals such as URL, title, meta, and semantic page regions for reactions. It is designed not to scrape password fields or form inputs. Optional Brain Upgrade runs models on-device. We do not sell your browsing history. Full policy: https://arcrawls.com/privacy Arcrawls - the browser pet that actually understands your vibe, without sending your vibe to the cloud.