Chrome extension
The Ensō Reading extension adds a side panel to Chrome (or any Chromium browser: Edge, Brave…) that saves the current tab to a reading list, together with a complete offline copy of the page. Saved pages appear in the Reading app on every device within a sync cycle (about 15 seconds); the desktop app also downloads the offline copy so you can read it without a connection.
It needs Chrome 116 or newer.
Installing
Section titled “Installing”Install Ensō Reading from the Chrome Web Store:
chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ensō-reading
Click Add to Chrome, accept the permissions prompt, and pin the Ensō button to your toolbar. Chrome keeps the extension up to date on its own.
In the app, Reading → Browser extension opens the same link.
Installing unpacked
Section titled “Installing unpacked”The Web Store version talks only to https://app.ensoapp.io. If you run your own Ensō server — or want a build straight from the repo — install the extension unpacked instead:
- Get the extension folder:
- From the web: download the extension zip from the downloads page and extract it.
- From the desktop app: in Reading, click Browser extension, then Show the extension folder. The app places its bundled copy in a folder, opens that folder in your file manager, and shows the steps below with the folder path and a Copy path button.
- Open
chrome://extensionsand switch on Developer mode (top right). - Click Load unpacked and select the folder — or simply drag the folder onto the
chrome://extensionspage. - Pin the Ensō button to the toolbar.
- Open the extension’s Options page and set the Server URL to your server. The default,
https://app.ensoapp.io, is right for everyone on the hosted app.
Signing in
Section titled “Signing in”Click the Ensō toolbar button to open the side panel and sign in with your Ensō email and password. You stay signed in until you click Sign out in the panel or go 90 days without opening it.
Saving a page
Section titled “Saving a page”- Open the article and click the Ensō button; the side panel toggles open.
- Under Save to, pick a reading list (it defaults to Inbox and remembers your choice).
- Click Save page.
The page and its offline copy appear in the panel’s list and in Reading on every device. If Chrome cannot capture the page, the panel offers Save URL only, which saves the link without an offline copy.
The main button follows the page’s state in your reading lists:
| If the current page is… | The button reads | And it… |
|---|---|---|
| Not saved | Save page | Captures it and adds it to the chosen list |
| Saved, unread | Mark as Read | Completes it in place — no duplicate |
| Saved and read | Read ✓ — Save again | Captures a fresh copy and puts it back as unread |
A completed page’s offline copy is removed 7 days later (the link is kept), which is why Save again captures the page anew.
The panel’s list
Section titled “The panel’s list”The panel shows the selected list: unread pages on top, a collapsible Completed (N) section, and — behind Show archived — an Archived (N) section. On each row you can mark it read or unread, archive or unarchive it, or delete it (click twice to confirm). Clicking a title opens the original page in a new tab. Refresh re-fetches the list.
Collapsing Completed or Archived is remembered on that device, as is the list you last picked in Save to — so the panel reopens the way you left it.
If an upload fails — the server is unreachable, or the connection drops — the save is queued and retried automatically. A N queued pill in the footer shows how many are waiting.
Privacy
Section titled “Privacy”The extension talks only to your Ensō server and sends nothing else anywhere. It asks Chrome for permission to capture the current tab, read its address and title, keep its sign-in and pending uploads, and show the side panel.