Using Bridge

The top bar

The bar along the top of Bridge is how you get around.

• Bridge logo: goes to Home.
• App drawer: the button beside the logo. It holds every Bridge app you've installed, and the Store.
• Tabs: Browser, Music, your web apps, and any app you've set to show as a tab.
• Icons on the right: apps shown as icons (like Calculator), now playing, notifications, Settings, the clock and Power.

You choose whether each app is a tab or an icon in Settings › Apps. Drag tabs in the bar to reorder them, or hide built-in ones in Settings › Tabs.

Home and search

Home is your wallpaper and one search field. Start typing anywhere on Home.

• Bridge on its own searches the web and Bridge's settings. Each app you add brings its own results: Games adds your games, Files adds your files, Bridge Desktop adds your Windows apps.
• Use the arrow keys to move through results, Enter to open one, and Esc to clear.
• Type a web address to go straight to it.
• Hold the Windows key from anywhere to jump to Home's search.

The browser

A full browser, with tabs down the left side.

• Tabs: Ctrl+T for a new tab, Ctrl+W to close one, Ctrl+Shift+T to reopen the last one. Drag to reorder; right-click a tab for more.
• Hide the tab list: the first button in the sidebar switches between Keep open and Auto-hide.
• Private tabs: Ctrl+Shift+N. Nothing is saved to history, and the private session is cleared when the last private tab closes.
• Split view: right-click a tab › Split with… to put two pages side by side.
• Workspaces: the dots at the bottom of the tab list. Each workspace keeps its own tabs.
• Bookmarks: Ctrl+D. They show on the new tab page.
• History Ctrl+H and Downloads Ctrl+J.
• Extensions: the Extensions button › Add extension…, then paste a Chrome Web Store link.
• Shields: blocks ads and trackers on every page, and shows what it blocked. Switch it off for one site from the Shields button.

Privacy is strict by default. Known trackers are blocked, pages are upgraded to HTTPS where possible, and every site is told not to sell or share your data. Pick your search engine in Settings › Browser.

Web apps and Music

Any site can become a web app with its own tab in the top bar, already signed in.

• Add one: right-click a browser tab › Add to web apps, or Settings › Tabs › Add a web app.
• Rename or remove: Settings › Tabs.
• Music: a tab for YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music or SoundCloud. Choose which one in Settings › General › Music.

Now playing in the top bar follows whatever is playing, in Bridge or in other apps. Click it to jump to what's playing; your media keys control it.

Notifications

Websites you allow and your Bridge apps can send notifications. They pop up at the bottom of the screen and wait in the bell in the top bar.

Power

The Power button in the top bar has Restart Bridge, Close Bridge (Ctrl+Alt+Q) and a switch between a window and full screen. Add-ons add more here: Bridge Desktop adds Sleep, Restart and Shut down; Bridge Screensaver adds Screensaver; Bridge Mode adds Exit to desktop.

Keyboard shortcuts

• Ctrl+, Settings
• Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+9 the top-bar tabs
• Ctrl+L the address field, Ctrl+F find on the page
• Ctrl+Alt+Q close Bridge