Hilo

Adaptive Translator for the Real Web

Powered by Gemini Nano • Perfect for English learners at any level

Download Hilo (ZIP)Watch Demo

What is Hilo?

Hilo is a Chrome extension perfect for anyone studying English at any level. Using CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) levels from A1 (beginner) to C1 (advanced), you can select the difficulty that challenges you and transform any webpage to match your learning goals.

Want to push yourself with advanced vocabulary? Set an easy article to C1 level. Need to practice comprehension at your current level? Adjust it accordingly. Hilo gives you complete control over how you engage with authentic English content, making every article a personalized learning opportunity.

Beyond text simplification, Hilo helps you learn actively with an interactive Quiz feature to test your understanding and a Summarization tool to quickly grasp key points. Built with on-device AI for privacy and speed, everything works directly in your browser without sending your data to external servers.

CEFR Levels A1–C1

Choose your reading level and watch content adapt in real-time

Privacy-First

On-device AI means your reading stays private and secure

Quiz & Summary

Test your understanding with quizzes and get quick summaries

Powered by Gemini Nano

This program uses Chrome's built-in AI model, Gemini Nano, through native APIs—no external cloud services required

Language Model API

ai.languageModel

Text simplification and CEFR level adaptation

Summarizer API

ai.summarizer

Generating concise summaries of simplified text

Writer API

ai.writer

Creating interactive quiz questions to test comprehension

Why Gemini Nano?

By using Chrome's built-in Gemini Nano model through native APIs, Hilo processes everything locally on your device. This means faster performance, complete privacy (no data sent to external servers), and the ability to work offline once the models are downloaded. This is a submission for the Google Chrome Built-in AI Challenge 2025.

Installation Steps

Get Hilo running in minutes with Developer Mode

  1. 1

    Download and unzip hilo-main.zip.

  2. 2

    Open chrome://extensions in Chrome.

  3. 3

    Toggle Developer mode (top right).

  4. 4

    Click Load unpacked → select the unzipped /dist folder.

  5. 5

    Pin Hilo from the extensions (puzzle icon).

  6. 6

    Open a test article link below and try CEFR simplification.

💡 First Time Installing Extensions?

Don't worry! The process is straightforward. If you get stuck, check out the troubleshooting section below or refer to the Chrome Extensions documentation.

Try Hilo on Real Content

Test the extension with these curated links

Article

BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news

Article

National Geographic

https://www.nationalgeographic.com

Article

The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com

After installing Hilo, visit any of these links and use the extension popup to select your CEFR level (A1–C1). The page content will be simplified in real-time!

For Judges

Version

1.0.0

License

MIT

Report Issues

GitHub Issues →

How to Install & Test

  1. 1Download the extension ZIP file from the button at the top
  2. 2Unzip the file and navigate to /dist folder
  3. 3Open chrome://extensions in Chrome
  4. 4Toggle "Developer mode" (top right corner)
  5. 5Click "Load unpacked" and select the /dist folder
  6. 6Pin Hilo from the extensions menu (puzzle icon)
  7. 7Test on the sample articles provided below in the "Try Demo" section

Troubleshooting

Common issues and quick fixes

  • On-device AI not available

    If on-device AI isn't available, open the popup and enable Demo Mode (local fallback).

  • Changes not taking effect

    Refresh the page after changing CEFR level or toggling modes.

  • ZIP won't load

    If the ZIP won't load, re-download and make sure you selected the /dist folder.

Still having issues?

Check the browser console (F12) for error messages, or visit our GitHub repository for more detailed troubleshooting guides.

Open an Issue on GitHub