sprout

A browser pet. Version 1.0.

A small friend
for your browser.

This is Sprout. It wanders around your tabs, enjoys a snack, and occasionally reminds you to take a break.

Download for Chrome

Free tester · Windows & Mac · 4.4 MB

Manual installation for now. Here’s how.

Hi. I'm Sprout.

A small preview. Try the controls.

Keep a little company.

Sprout lives on your webpages while you work, read, or get distracted. Drag it somewhere comfortable. Feed it, play for a bit, give it a bath, or leave it to wander.

You can set a written check-in every 5 or 10 minutes and add what you’re working on. Turn the check-ins off when you’d rather be left alone.

It’s a small project, still being worked on. There’s no text chat or AI memory yet. The current messages are prewritten.

Sprout curled up asleep

Your pet. Your device.

Sprout saves its progress and settings in your browser profile. No account needed.

Optional webpage context is off by default. If enabled, it reads only visible headings to choose a message, on your device. No screenshots, form inputs, or uploaded page text.

Read the privacy details

Chrome 116 or later

Bring Sprout home.

The tester uses Chrome’s manual installation. A Chrome Web Store listing will come later.

Download Sprout v1.0.0

  1. Download and extract the ZIP.

    Keep the extracted Sprout-Chrome folder somewhere on your computer.

  2. Open Chrome’s extensions page.

    Type chrome://extensions in the address bar. Turn on Developer mode, choose Load unpacked, and select the Sprout-Chrome folder.

  3. Pin Sprout and refresh your tabs.

    You’ll find Sprout on regular webpages. Chrome’s settings, the Web Store, and other protected pages don’t allow it.

A few things to know.

Is it free?
Yes. The tester is free and solo care needs no server or subscription. Updates currently require downloading the new version and reloading the extension.
Can I connect with a friend?
The room feature works with a separately deployed room server. A public service isn’t included yet, so it isn’t ready to use out of the box.
Does it work outside Chrome?
This download is just the browser extension. A Windows desktop version is in development, but there’s no standalone installer here yet.
What about personalised chat?
Text chat and local conversation memory are planned. They aren’t included in this version.