Install Zen Browser on CachyOS

What should I do after installing Zen Browser?

1. Open Zen Browser from your app menu.
2. Or run zen-browser in a terminal.
3. Run pacman -Qi zen-browser-bin to see the installed version and the optional dependencies.

How do I update or remove Zen Browser?

Update:

Remove:

What is Zen Browser?

Welcome to a calmer internet.

Package description: Performance oriented Firefox-based web browser

Reviews of Zen Browser on CachyOS

From GitHub

zen-browser/desktop · ★ 45,501 stars · last commit Nov 1, 2026 · latest release Oct 29, 2026

Real issues opened by users on the project's GitHub, shown as written with a link to each one. 10 most reacted issues opened in the last two years plus the 5 newest issues, bots, pull requests, non English and political posts skipped, capped at 15 per repo. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

1. [META]: Window Sync and session restoreClosed

   When opening multiple windows in Zen Browser, each window displays the available workspaces. However, the tabs within these workspaces are only present in the original window where they were opened. Consequently, closing a window can lead to the loss of all tabs contained within…

   @RichardShift · Mar 30, 2025 · 183 reactions · 180 comments · View on GitHub

2. Zen is not making use of picture-caching correctlyClosed

   WebRender (The graphics rendering system in Gecko) splits the scene into retained layers (WR actually calls them pictures) which are composited into the window. Scrolling a retained picture only requires moving it around and re-compositing which saves a considerable amount of CPU…

   @nical · Mar 10, 2025 · 117 reactions · 73 comments · View on GitHub

3. Please add an option to disable the floating URL barClosed

   Please add an option to disable the floating URL bar. It is VERY annoying. 1.0.2-b.0 Linux, macOS - aarch64, macOS - Intel, Windows

   @SubtleMuffin · Dec 11, 2024 · 90 reactions · 37 comments · View on GitHub

4. Disable window/tab sync by defaultClosed

   The new v1.18b introduced the window sync feature without a user-facing setting to disable it. Setting userpref("zen.window-sync.enabled", false); is a workaround, but this should be exposed in the settings. I'd also argue that the default should be to not sync tabs, at least…

   @lucaspar · Jan 24, 2026 · 81 reactions · 31 comments · View on GitHub

5. [META]: Performance, consumption and memory leaksOpen

   To help us investigate memory-related issues effectively, please follow these steps carefully: 1. Open Zen and go to: about:support 2. Click "Copy text to clipboard" 3. Paste the copied text into the template 1. Open a new tab and go to: about:memory 2. Click the "Measure and…

   @mr-cheffy · Jun 8, 2025 · 75 reactions · 190 comments · View on GitHub

6. Zen disables compact mode on startupClosed

   I keep compact mode constantly enabled. During the last few weeks, when I start Zen, there is a chance that compact mode has been disabled, as if the setting of having compact mode enabled had been reset to default. I don't have a way to reproduce reliably, sometimes it happens…

   @mastazi · May 26, 2025 · 54 reactions · 59 comments · View on GitHub

7. Tab auto unload not working with recent changesClosed

   Looks like memory based unloader prevents tabs from auto unloading entirely. No matter how much time passes, tabs in background are always active, switching to them is instant. Even if whole system runs out of memory and starts using pagefile/swap Auto unload tabs more…

   @Arctomachine · Jun 3, 2025 · 43 reactions · 83 comments · View on GitHub

8. XDG Base Directory support, and/or data directory environment variableClosed

   I understand this is likely coming from Mozilla, since they do the same thing, but we need to get ahead of this before Zen becomes too popular and it's too late. :cry: Please don't continue this trend. We already have enough applications that do not respect XDG paths. Home…

   @Swivelgames · Apr 4, 2025 · 41 reactions · 25 comments · View on GitHub

9. Keeps logging out of my accountsClosed

   This is an issue that only appears on Zen for me. I've ran Opera, Firefox, Lynx and Vivaldi on these two machines and none of them display this issue. Before I go on, I KNOW there's a setting to "Delete cookies when Zen is closed". That option is turned OFF. No data is deleted…

   @The-Toblin · Apr 2, 2025 · 38 reactions · 68 comments · View on GitHub

10. URL bar search shows URLs instead of titles of search resultsClosed

    When searching for pages in history through the URL bar, search results are URLs and not titles of historic entries. In fact, its clear that the search happens on titles and not URLs even through the URLs do highlight keywords in them. The search results show titles of the…

    @brazenvoid · Jul 28, 2025 · 36 reactions · 9 comments · View on GitHub

11. Boost CSS editor appears empty despite existing code, overwrites code on saveOpen

    When opening an existing Boost through My Boost → Code, the CSS editor is always empty, even though the Boost already contains custom CSS. If I enter new CSS and save it, the new code overwrites all previously stored CSS rather than appending to or editing the existing code.…

    @ryanbugden · Nov 1, 2026 · 1 reactions · 0 comments · View on GitHub

12. Set Profile is available in Private WindowOpen

    Set Profile is available in Private Window. It seems to set a profile, which if I'm not sure are basically containers. Firefox by default does not support containers in Private Window. Also, there is no way to open tabs in a container in Zen's Private Window if Zen does support…

    @nirmaladvani · Nov 1, 2026 · 1 reactions · 0 comments · View on GitHub

13. Clear Downloads is missing from Library > Downloads' right click menu.Open

    Clear Downloads is missing from Library > Downloads' right click menu. Clear Downloads is present in about:downloads and old downloads menu in the tool bar. Without Clear Downloads in Library > Downloads, there is no way to clear multiple downloads from. PS: Right click menu can…

    @nirmaladvani · Nov 1, 2026 · 1 reactions · 0 comments · View on GitHub

14. Essential Tabs Can Be Opened Simultaneously in Multiple Windows on Different DisplaysOpen

    Essential Tabs are expected to behave like single-instance tabs, meaning the same Essential Tab should only be active in one browser window at a time. However, when using Zen Browser across multiple displays with two separate browser windows open, I can open the same Essential…

    @ultronDebugs · Nov 1, 2026 · 2 reactions · 0 comments · View on GitHub

15. Youtube speed setting at the wrong (0.25x) speed.Open

    Hello, I have a weird issue, if and only if I add youtube to my essentials, then restart my pc, the next time there is a chance that the youtube playback defaults to 0.25x. I have seen this issue multiple times now, removing it and adding a fresh www.youtube.com tab to the…

    @SaeneA · Nov 1, 2026 · 1 reactions · 0 comments · View on GitHub