GlassBar FAQ

GlassBar is a browser extension that pins a frosted-glass chat bar to the bottom of every web page, so you can ask AI about the page you're reading and watch the answer stream in place. It uses the page's title, URL, and visible text as context, and it runs on your own API key — Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or a local model. There is no account and no server in the middle.

Press Alt+J to toggle GlassBar on any tab. The bar rests at the bottom of the page as a small pill — hover to expand it, click to pin it, press Esc to tuck it away. Answers stream in as real formatting — headings, lists, code — not raw markdown.

No — GlassBar has no account, no sign-up, and no backend. You install the extension, paste an API key from a provider you already use, and start asking. The developer receives no user data.

Bring your own key means GlassBar calls the AI provider directly with your personal API key, instead of routing requests through the extension maker's server. You paste a key from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or any other supported provider into GlassBar's settings; every request then goes straight from your browser to that provider, billed at the provider's own rates. No middleman, no markup.

GlassBar works with Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, xAI's Grok, Groq, DeepSeek, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. It also runs local models through Ollama and LM Studio on localhost. Every provider is available on the free tier — see how that stacks up against other tools on the comparison page.

Yes — each provider in GlassBar keeps its own API key and model selection, so you can switch per task. Keep a fast model configured for skimming and a stronger one for hard questions; nothing needs re-entering when you swap.

Your API key is stored in the browser's local extension storage (storage.local) on your machine — it is never uploaded to any server. GlassBar sends it only to the provider you picked, as part of the direct request from your browser. Removing the extension removes the key.

There is no GlassBar server that could log, leak, or resell your key — requests travel directly from your browser to the AI provider you chose. The key lives in local extension storage and is transmitted only over the provider's own API connection. Normal key hygiene still applies: use a dedicated key and rotate it if you ever suspect exposure.

None — GlassBar has no telemetry, no analytics, no tracking, and no backend to send anything to. The developer receives no user data at all. The full policy is on the privacy page.

The page's title, URL, and visible text, plus your question, go directly from your browser to the provider you picked, authenticated with your own key. Nothing is proxied, logged, or stored along the way. With a local model, nothing leaves your machine at all.

Yes — GlassBar's free tier costs $0 forever and is fully usable, not a trial. Free includes every provider, page-aware chat, local models, dark, light, and auto themes, and the Alt+J toggle. You pay only your AI provider for the tokens you use — or nothing, with a local model.

No — GlassBar Pro is a $15 one-time purchase, never a subscription, and updates are free. Payment is handled through ExtensionPay. There are no other paid tiers.

Pro unlocks Saved Chats: conversations persist per page and auto-restore when you revisit, your chat history is searchable, and any chat exports to Markdown or JSON. Everything else — providers, page-aware chat, local models, themes — is already free. Free to use. $15 to remember.

Yes — GlassBar is live on addons.mozilla.org and supports Firefox 142 and later. Install it from the official AMO listing. If you're specifically after a ChatGPT-style assistant in Firefox, there's a full guide at ChatGPT sidebar for Firefox.

Yes — GlassBar supports Firefox for Android and is enabled on the same AMO listing as the desktop version. That is unusual: most AI sidebar extensions are desktop-Chrome-only. Install Firefox for Android and add GlassBar from the same listing.

GlassBar runs on Chromium browsers — Chrome, Edge, and Brave — from the same codebase as the Firefox build, but the Chrome Web Store listing is still pending. Chromium users can sideload the dev build today; the store listing is coming soon.

Yes — GlassBar connects to Ollama or LM Studio running on localhost, and in that setup nothing touches the internet. The page text, your question, and the model's answer all stay on your machine. Setup details are in the Ollama browser extension guide.

Yes — local model support is part of the free tier, not a Pro feature. Point GlassBar at Ollama or LM Studio on localhost and use it at no cost: no API spend, no account, no data leaving the machine.