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Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/0xdps/default-tamer/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

  1. Download the latest DMG from the Releases page
  2. Open the DMG and drag Default Tamer to your Applications folder
  3. Launch Default Tamer from Applications
  4. Click “Open System Settings” in the first-run window
  5. Navigate to System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Default web browser
  6. Select Default Tamer from the list
That’s it! Default Tamer is now your default browser and will route links based on your rules.
Default Tamer requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. It’s built with Swift 5.9 and SwiftUI.
Rules are evaluated in order from top to bottom. The first matching rule wins. If no rule matches, the link opens in your configured fallback browser.You can create rules based on:
  • Source App: Route all links from a specific app (e.g., Slack → Chrome)
  • Domain (exact): Match exact domains (e.g., github.com → Firefox)
  • Domain (suffix): Match domain endings (e.g., .atlassian.net → Chrome)
  • Domain (contains): Match domains containing text (e.g., jira → Chrome)
  • URL Pattern: Match URLs containing specific text (e.g., /admin → Safari)
  • URL Regex: Advanced pattern matching with regular expressions
Reorder rules by dragging them up or down in the Rules list.
No. Default Tamer does not create any default rules on first launch. All rules are created by you.You’ll need to add your own rules based on your workflow and preferences.
None. Default Tamer is completely privacy-first:
  • All URL routing happens locally on your Mac
  • No network requests are made (except for optional automatic update checks)
  • No telemetry or analytics are collected
  • No personal information is stored or transmitted
Activity logging is opt-in and stores data only on your Mac. URLs are sanitized before storage to strip tokens, API keys, and secrets.
Activity Logging is an optional diagnostic feature that records recent URL routing decisions. It helps you:
  • Debug why a link opened in a specific browser
  • Verify your rules are working correctly
  • Track which apps are opening URLs
All logs are stored locally on your Mac. URLs are sanitized to remove sensitive data like authentication tokens, API keys, and secrets before storage.Enable it in Preferences → General → Diagnostics.
Go to Preferences → General → Danger Zone and click Reset to Factory Defaults.This will:
  • Delete all your routing rules
  • Reset all settings to defaults
  • Clear the first-run flag
  • Clear the activity log (if enabled)
Warning: This action cannot be undone. Consider exporting your rules first if the feature becomes available in a future release.
Not yet. Import/export functionality is on the roadmap for a future release. You can track progress in the GitHub Issues.
Chrome profile selection is not currently supported, but it’s on the roadmap. For now, Default Tamer routes to the default Chrome profile.Follow open issues for updates on this feature.
Open Default Tamer preferences and go to the General tab. Toggle Launch at Login to enable it.Default Tamer will now start automatically when you log in to your Mac.
Default Tamer uses Sparkle for automatic updates.
  • Automatic checks: Default Tamer checks for updates in the background
  • Manual check: Click the menu bar icon → About → Check for Updates
  • Update notifications: You’ll be notified when a new version is available
Updates are downloaded and installed with a single click. Your rules and settings are preserved.
  1. Change your default browser back to another browser in System Settings
  2. Quit Default Tamer (click menu bar icon → Quit)
  3. Move Default Tamer from Applications to Trash
  4. (Optional) Remove app data: 
    rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/codes.dps.DefaultTamer
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/codes.dps.DefaultTamer
rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/codes.dps.DefaultTamer.plist
All your rules and settings are stored in the Application Support directory.
Contributions are welcome! Here’s how you can help:Report bugs or request features:Contribute code:
  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature
  3. Make your changes and test thoroughly
  4. Submit a Pull Request with a clear description
Development setup:
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/0xdps/default-tamer.git
cd default-tamer
just deploy  # Requires 'just' command runner
See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines.
Planned features include:
  • Chrome profile selection
  • Import/export rules
  • “Always show chooser” per-app mode
  • iCloud sync for rules and settings
See open issues on GitHub for the complete roadmap and to vote on features.
Yes! Default Tamer is open source under the MIT License. You can view the source code, contribute, or fork the project on GitHub.
Default Tamer is made by 0xdps. If you find it useful, consider buying me a coffee!

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