Building privacy-first browser tools: QR, image metadata, and PDF editing without uploads
I have been expanding UsefulAtlas into a browser-local toolbox instead of adding hundreds of tiny utility pages. The latest work includes: QR Studio Static QR generation URL, text, Wi-Fi, vCard, email and SMS Local im
I have been expanding UsefulAtlas into a browser-local toolbox instead of adding hundreds of tiny utility pages.
The latest work includes:
QR Studio
Static QR generation
URL, text, Wi-Fi, vCard, email and SMS
Local image and camera decoding
Destination inspection before opening
PNG/SVG export
Image Toolbox
Resize / convert
EXIF and metadata inspection
GPS detection
Local metadata/privacy cleaning
Automatic re-inspection of cleaned output
PDF Toolbox
Merge / split / reorder
Text annotations
Pen and highlighting
Visual signatures
Undo / redo
Local PDF export
The main constraint has been simple:
Private files should stay in the browser when the task does not require a server.
That also creates some interesting engineering problems: PDF coordinate transforms, worker ownership, metadata container parsing, QR payload safety, Blob lifecycle cleanup, mobile input, and keeping heavy libraries lazy-loaded.
I am intentionally avoiding remote upload APIs for these workflows.
No MCP layer or agent API either - the human tool needs to be good first.
The project is live here:
If you build browser-local utilities too, I would be interested in what edge cases caused you the most trouble.
Originally published by Dev.to Security. Aggregated on AIWithGhost for educational purposes — full credit and traffic to the original publisher.