How to Use Local AI in Firefox in 2026 Without Moving to Another Browser

A developer published a guide for running local AI inside Firefox using the Off Grid AI browser extension, which opens a sidebar and routes questions to the OGAD (Off Grid AI Desktop) app that owns the models and performs inference. The setup requires a source build of the extension with Node.js 20 or later, loading it as a temporary add-on via about:debugging, and connecting to the desktop gateway at http://127.0.0.1:7878/v1. The guide covers page-context questions, desktop pairing, and troubleshooting for OGAD beta 0.0.55-beta.114, noting that browser origin handling can affect pairing and that the temporary add-on must be reloaded after Firefox restarts.

You can use local AI beside a Firefox page. The Off Grid AI extension opens a sidebar and sends your question to OGAD Off Grid AI Desktop . The desktop app owns the models and does the processing. Firefox provides the page and the place to read the answer. What would you like to do with Off Grid AI? Have a feature or use case you would like us to support? Tell us what you want to do and which device you use. Write to support@offgridmobileai.co mailto:support@offgridmobileai.co , join our Slack community https://join.slack.com/t/off-grid-mobile/shared invite/zt-3swt3s84k-R0CHRwISaUpExV2~3qUUdQ , or talk to us on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/off grid ai/ . Install OGAD, download a local text model, and activate it. Keep OGAD running during browser chat. The default connection is the desktop gateway on the same computer at http://127.0.0.1:7878/v1 . The extension setup here uses a source build. It is not an AMO store installation. You need Node.js 20 or later and internet to download source and dependencies. The Firefox temporary add-on is removed when Firefox restarts, so keep the built folder available to load it again. git clone https://github.com/off-grid-ai/browser-extension.git cd browser-extension git checkout 970fec49e2a630a3e1f419c1fc86df241891d40c npm install npm run build:firefox about:debugging /runtime/this-firefox in Firefox. dist/firefox/manifest.json from the built folder. The pinned extension source https://github.com/off-grid-ai/browser-extension/tree/970fec49e2a630a3e1f419c1fc86df241891d40c supplies this build. Loading the Chrome folder is not the Firefox setup. Open a long product or documentation page and turn Use page on. Ask for a result that helps with your next decision: List the required setup steps on this page in their stated order. Keep warnings beside the step they affect. Do not add steps from memory. The extension extracts readable text from the current page. Check the answer against the page before following it. Hidden controls, a login state, and incomplete loading can affect what the model receives. For a policy page, change the question: What does this page say about cancellation? Separate the deadline, any fee, and exceptions. Quote only the short wording needed to identify each condition. This gives you a list to verify instead of a general summary. If the page does not state a fee, the answer should identify that gap. A local model can still make a wrong inference. Basic model access and approved desktop access are separate. Pair when you want shared chats or desktop tools. In extension Settings Desktop , select Pair with desktop . Compare the six words with OGAD's native dialog and approve there only when they match. For the first Firefox setup, prove ordinary chat before adding these workflows. The repository notes that browser origin handling can affect pairing. If chat works but pairing fails, retain that distinction when reporting the problem. It is not proof that local model inference failed. Chrome's debugger-based task route does not apply unchanged to Firefox. This guide covers sidebar chat and page questions. Do not assume that every automated browser action behaves the same across the two browsers. After restarting Firefox, load the temporary add-on again. If the sidebar is present but no model is listed, check OGAD and its active model. If the reply stops partway through, check the desktop connection before repeating the request. Keep a source link and any checked notes you need for later work. Local inference avoids a hosted AI service for this selected route; it does not remove Firefox's website traffic or the need to protect saved browser data. This guide covers OGAD beta 0.0.55-beta.114 . The release https://github.com/off-grid-ai/OGAD/releases/tag/v0.0.55-beta.114 and build record https://github.com/off-grid-ai/OGAD/actions/runs/37334426829 identify the desktop version and its included Pro code. Setup details follow that code; they are not a device test. Download OGAD https://getoffgridai.co/desktop/ and load the Firefox build. Start with one question about a page you know, then check the answer beside its source.