May 4, 2026
Private browsing, public side-eye
Midori, the first browser to offer a VPN with Mesh technology
Midori adds a built-in VPN, but commenters are asking if the whole thing looks sketchy
TLDR: Midori’s new browser update adds a built-in VPN and other speed and privacy features, aiming to make safer browsing easy in one click. But commenters were far more interested in whether Midori can be trusted at all, with some calling the site broken, suspicious, and behind on security.
Midori is back with version 11.7.1, promising a browser that does a little bit of everything: faster new tabs, extra widgets, a souped-up shortcut tool called Omni, stronger ad blocking, and the big headline-grabber — a built-in VPN, basically a privacy tool that routes your browsing through other points on the internet to help hide you on public Wi‑Fi. On paper, it sounds like a neat all-in-one privacy makeover. In the comments, though? Absolute side-eye city.
The loudest reaction wasn’t “wow, cool,” but “wait… is this legit?” One of the first replies was the brutally simple “Error establishing a database connection,” which instantly set the tone: people weren’t just skeptical of the feature, they were skeptical of the whole website. Another commenter said the project had a “strong AI smell” and asked outright, “Is this a scam?” Ouch. That mood only got darker when critics dragged Midori’s history, accusing it of lagging behind on important security updates and being too quiet about known problems.
But the drama didn’t stop at distrust. The thread quickly turned into a privacy-browser cage match, with commenters name-dropping rivals like NYM and Mullvad Browser as the real options for people who care about staying safe online. So while Midori wanted applause for stuffing privacy tools directly into the browser, the crowd mostly responded with roast jokes, trust issues, and a big flashing prove it.
Key Points
- •Midori Browser 11.7.1 improves performance in the New Tab area, including faster background image downloads, and adds three new widgets.
- •The release updates Omni, Midori’s built-in tool for managing tabs, key sites, history, and bookmarks, with speed improvements and multilingual support.
- •Midori Privacy Protect now provides more information about blocking entities and adds vertical profiles to adjust protection levels by activity type.
- •Midori 11.7.1 introduces Midori Mesh VPN, a decentralized VPN integrated directly into the browser rather than provided as separate system-wide software.
- •The article says the built-in VPN routes traffic through secure endpoints to help mask identity and reduce trackers, while warning that speed can vary with endpoint availability and network load.