it will bring many innovations to create a more decentralized internet age. An important step in this direction is the IPFS or InterPlanetary File System where the data is stored on multiple nodes instead of one server. Discover What is IPFS? Add IPFS support to Chrome, Brave and Firefox
It opens up a lot of possibilities, but currently has limited support in browsers. In this article, let’s see what is IPFS and how to enable IPFS support in Chrome, Firefox and Brave browsers.
What is IPFS? Add IPFS support to Chrome, Brave and Firefox
What is IPFS?
IPFS is a decentralized technology that hosts and stores files and data on nodes instead of servers. Nodes are all the different computers that use IPFS. It allows files and any content stored or hosted on IPFS to be easily accessible, resistant to tampering, and prevents content censorship.
IPFS stores data in small blocks and then links them to another block. This block is given a unique cryptographic hash number, and only people who have the exact hash number can access the file. This ensures that only the people you want to share the file with have access to it .
The nature of IPFS provides performance benefits, higher bandwidth, security and data integrity . The plan is to host websites on IPFS to eradicate a lot of common issues that we currently face, such as server related issues and data tracking.
If all of this has interested you, let’s take a look at how you can enjoy IPFS support in Brave, Chrome, and Firefox.
For IPFS to go mainstream and increase active nodes, more browsers need to start supporting it. Brave has built-in support, but you won’t properly enjoy the full benefits of IPFS without a local node. And Chrome and Firefox also require the same to add proper support.
Let’s see how you can enable support for Open IPFS hashes in these browsers.
Prerequisite: Install IPFS Desktop and create a local node
The methods below require you to create a local IPFS node on your device in order to work properly on unsupported browsers. And to create a local node, you need to install the IPFS application on your computer.
The app allows you to easily upload, download and manage files and folders in IPFS. But the benefit of installing this app is that you can view previously visited IPFS content offline, verify content hashes, and contribute to the overall IPFS network .
Download from this link and follow the instructions installation to configure the application on your preferred system.
Note: brave users can skip this step as the browser will provide an option to create a local node and companion app within its settings, but installing it for other browsers is recommended.
1. Enable IPFS support in Brave Browser
Brave comes with IPFS support built into the browser. Simply type ipfs:// followed by the hash to access the file. It will use the public gateway to access the file.
But you can enable the IPFS Companion Extension to interact with your IPFS node through your browser and access all the features of the IPFS Desktop application within your browser.
This is how you can access IPFS content in the Brave browser:
Step 1: Click on the menu Burger in the Brave browser.
Step 2: go to Setting
Step 3: select IPFS in the sidebar on the left.
Step 4: here go to Method to resolve IPFS resources and select local node in the dropdown menu.
Step 5: Now turn on the toggle to IPFS Companion .
Step 6: Click on add extension in the popup menu.
The IPFS Companion extension will start downloading and installing on your Brave browser.
Step 7: Click on the Extension menu (puzzle icon) at the top right.
Step 8: click on IPFS Companion to open the extension.
Step 9: In the IPFS window that appears, click the Cube icon.
Step 10: will open the IPFS companion home page and will verify that your node is connected .
Cool! You now have access to the IPFS desktop interface in your browser and will be able to perform all desktop app actions, including dragging and dropping files.
Step 11: from here, you can click Records to access your IPFS files and folders.
You can also search for hashes from this interface.
Step 12 β Copy and paste the hash into the search bar at the top and click Review to access that file or folder.
2. Enable compatibility with IPFS in Chrome or Microsoft Edge
Unlike Brave, Chrome and Edge browsers cannot look up IPFS hashes without a complementary extension installed. The companion extension will allow you to easily search for hashes and upload files, as we discussed earlier, adding Web3 capabilities to Chrome.
Here’s how to configure IPFS in Google Chrome:
Step 1: Open the IPFS desktop client and leave it running in the background.
Step 2: download from the Chrome Web Store.
Step 3: After the installation is complete, click the Extension icon .
Step 4: Select Complementary PFSI .
Step 5: Click on the cube icon .
Step 6: The IPFS companion home page will open in a new tab. It should show a tick check and show Your node is peer connected .
You can now browse the IPFS desktop interface, upload files, and directly search for hashes and files without opening Companion.
Step 7: in the address bar, type ipfs.io/ipfs/ followed by the hash you want to search for.
This method will work with Edge and other Chromium-based browsers.
Like Chrome, Firefox has yet to add support for Web3 and IPFS, which means you’ll need to install an IPFS plugin.
Follow the steps below to enable IPFS support in Firefox browser:
Step 1: open IPFS Desktop Client and leave it running in the background.
Step 2: download the in firefox.
Step 3: the IPFS plugin will be added to your toolbar. Open it.
Step 4: Click on the cube icon .
Step 5: The IPFS companion landing page will open in a new tab. Make sure your node is connected to other pairs.
Companion allows you to search for IPFS hashes within Companion or upload your files and folders. You can visit IPFS-hosted web pages without opening Companion in Firefox.
Step 6: in the address bar, type ipfs.io/ipfs/ followed by the hash you want to search for.
That is all. This is how you can browse and access IPFS files in Chrome, Edge, Brave and Firefox browser.
Ending
The IPFS protocol opens up great potential for how we will access websites and manage our data in the future. But it needs a lot more adoption and commitment, which will come as more browsers and services start to implement support for IPFS. I hope we have helped you to enable IPFS support in Chrome, Edge, Brave or Firefox browsers.
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