Re-releasing v1.1.0-beta as a full release: A Stopgap to a New Path Forward

It was decided to re-release the beta as a full release as there appear to be a number of people who have some struggles with figuring out how to change their auto update processes from "latest" to a static version. Everything else remains the same.

The Road Here

First and foremost, Thank you for your continued support. Thanks to @benbusby for all the time and effort he spent building this, here's to hoping we can keep his dream alive.

Google's recent changes have made it increasingly difficult to provide the privacy-focused search experience that Whoogle was built for. JavaScript-free search results are no longer available, and user agent rotation has become ineffective. Google has even broken other various projects with these changes too. This marks the end of an era, but not the end of our mission.

Mullvad Leta Integration

In response to these challenges, we've integrated Mullvad Leta as the default search backend. While this wasn't the path we anticipated, Leta offers a privacy-respecting alternative that aligns with Whoogle's core values and can be used as a stopgap while we forge other ways forward. And since we are using it's Google Results filter, we are still getting the results we know and love (even if we have lost love and no longer recognize the company giving them to us)

What's New

• Mullvad Leta backend support (enabled by default) - @Don-Swanson
  • Privacy-focused search powered by Google results without the tracking
  • Can be disabled in settings to fall back to traditional Google search
• Seamless result formatting - Leta results are automatically converted to Whoogle's familiar interface
• Optimized layout - Refined UI for comfortable reading
• Environment variable: WHOOGLE_CONFIG_USE_LETA (default: true)

Known Limitations with Leta

• Image, video, news, and map searches are not supported (regular web search only)
• Some advanced Google search operators may not work

For Users who want to keep trying with Google

You can disable Leta in the settings or set WHOOGLE_CONFIG_USE_LETA=0 to continue using Google directly, though results may never come back. Godspeed.

How to use it?

• For Docker users, this release should trigger a new build named 1.1.0 and latest (benbusby/whoogle-search:latest) that you can pull and use. (Give it about an hour from this release to become available)
• For all others, you should just be able to pull and build/use it as you normally would

We continue to believe in a web where privacy is the default, not a privilege. This release represents adaptation in the face of adversity—a reminder that the fight for digital privacy requires constant evolution.

What We Need From You

Test this release and let us know of any CRITICAL bugs. As this is intended as a stopgap only, please do not report minor bugs related to this release—Major/Critical bugs only that must be fixed to keep the stopgap alive.

If you have genuine ideas on ways forward (no generic AI suggestions or "here's what I found in a search"), please bring them to the discussion.