GreyNoc v1.8 – Real Privacy Edition Now with Customizable Skins, Classic Windows XP Vibes, and Instant Privacy Status!
March 18, 2026 – Chicago, IL
Hey everyone,
I’m thrilled to announce GreyNoc v1.8 — the biggest visual and usability upgrade yet for our little privacy-first browser.
If you’ve been following along, you already know GreyNoc started as a single-file Python browser built with PyQt6 that blocks WebRTC leaks, randomizes canvas fingerprints, keeps everything in memory, and never touches your disk unless you explicitly download something. It’s been rock-solid on privacy since day one.
But you asked for more: “Make the design the same throughout the app. Buttons need to all look similar. It should look like Windows XP.”
So I went all-in. And then you said “add a way to change the skin.” And finally “add an indicator on the Privacy button.”
Here’s exactly what’s new in v1.8 — and why every change makes GreyNoc feel more polished, more personal, and more fun to use.
1. Perfect UI Congruence (Everything Matches)
The biggest complaint in earlier versions was mismatched button styles. Some were dark and rounded, others green, red, or transparent. It felt chaotic.
v1.8 fixes that forever.
Every single button — Back, Forward, Reload, GO, External, New Tab, PURGE, Skins, and every bookmark button — now uses the exact same base style inside each skin. No more visual chaos. The entire toolbar, bookmarks bar, and tabs feel like they were designed together.
2. Three Gorgeous, Fully-Swappable Skins
You no longer have to live with just one look. GreyNoc now ships with a built-in Skins button that opens a clean dialog where you can switch themes instantly.
Here are the three official skins:
Windows XP Classic (your original request)
- Authentic silver-gray #c0c0c0 background
- Classic 3D beveled buttons with proper inset/outset borders
- Tahoma font everywhere
- Inset address bar
- Pure 2001 nostalgia done right
Dark Stealth
- The original black privacy aesthetic you loved
- Rounded modern buttons
- High-contrast white text on deep black
- Perfect for late-night browsing when you want to disappear
Modern Light
- Clean white/gray professional look
- Subtle shadows and rounded corners
- Feels like a 2025 browser but still ultra-light
Your chosen skin is automatically saved to greynoc_skin.json. Next time you launch GreyNoc, it remembers exactly how you like it.
3. Live Privacy Button Indicator (ON/OFF with Color)
This was the final polish you asked for, and it’s now live.
The Privacy button used to just say “🛡️ Privacy”. Now it dynamically shows:
- 🛡️ Privacy ON (bright green) when maximum privacy mode is active
- 🛡️ Privacy OFF (bright red) when you’ve temporarily disabled it
The color and text update instantly when you click the button or hit Ctrl+Shift+P. No more guessing whether your WebRTC block and canvas randomization are actually running — you can see it at a glance.
4. Crash Fixes & Stability Improvements
Early testers hit a couple of edge-case crashes when switching skins (bookmark bar being updated before it existed in memory). Those are 100% fixed. The skin system now creates every widget first, then applies styles safely.
The auto-installer, crash reporter, bookmark persistence, purge-all-data, onion.ly proxy warning, and all privacy injection code remain untouched and rock-solid.
How to Get GreyNoc v1.8 Right Now
- Download the single file: greynoc.py (I’ll paste the full code at the bottom of this post — just copy everything).
- Save it exactly as greynoc.py (not .txt).
- Double-click it.
- First run will automatically install PyQt6 + WebEngine if you don’t have them.
- Subsequent runs are instant.
No installers. No bloat. No telemetry. Just one file, your privacy, and now beautiful customizable looks.
Why These Changes Matter
GreyNoc was always about real privacy — not marketing buzzwords. But a privacy tool should also feel delightful to use. With v1.8 you get:
- Nostalgic comfort (XP skin)
- Modern stealth (Dark skin)
- Clean professionalism (Light skin)
- Zero guesswork on privacy status
All while keeping the browser under 400 KB of source code and running completely offline after the one-time PyQt install.
What’s Next?
I’m already planning v1.9:
- Custom color picker for fully personalized themes
- Windows 98 / macOS Classic skins (for the retro crowd)
- Optional always-on-top mode
- Bookmark import from real browsers
But first — tell me what you want. Reply here or on the GreyNoc GitHub (coming soon) with feature requests.
0 comments