5 Dating App Tips for (Almost) All Apps

For most of us, the browser pre-installed on our phone is what we stick to – if it works, why bother to change it? However, like almost everything in the Android world, there are many alternatives that somehow provide a better browsing experience. Some focus on privacy, some focus on speed, while others focus on features that make the experience more convenient.

We have carefully selected the best Android browsers to browse, as too many choices can be confusing. From dark mode to desktop sync to extension support, these browsers have many features.

Mozilla Firefox

Most web browsers available on Android are based on Chromium, an open source version of Google Chrome. That is, they all load the web page in the same way. They have fairly the same performance, have the same habits, and so on. Firefox is the main exception to this rule. This is one of the few browsers on Android with a custom rendering engine.

feature

Rendering engine	GeckoView
Dark mode	yes
Desktop sync	yes
Extensions	Partial support
Android autofill	yes

Mozilla released a completely rewritten version of Firefox for Android a few years ago, and overall, this new release turned out to be just great. The company offers a limited choice of extensions that you can choose to install, but you can already use the add-ons you need by switching to the Nightly version of your browser.

Other than that, Firefox for Android is refreshing. It comes with a significantly improved scroll compared to previous versions, provides a bottom address bar (for ease of use on tall phones), and optionally syncs almost all data with the desktop pendant. .. It also blocks tracking scripts by default, but you can choose to remove or increase restrictions as needed.

However, most web developers are only targeting Chrome and Safari (on iOS), so be prepared to occasionally encounter one or two broken websites.

Google chrome

The list of best web browsers for Android wouldn’t be complete without Google Chrome. This is already the default browser on most phones and tablets, but Google is completely independent of its glory. Chrome updates are published every 6 weeks, and each release usually has some new features. Even if most of them are for website developers rather than end users.

feature

Rendering engine	Blinking
Dark mode	yes
Desktop sync	yes
Extensions	no
Android autofill	yes

Chrome is the leading web browser on both desktop and mobile platforms, so we don’t talk much about it. Most people are probably currently using Chrome and will know what they can (or can’t) do with Chrome. Most of Chrome is open source, and most other browsers on Android use its open source base, so most of Chrome’s functionality will be replicated in other apps.

However, the Android version of Chrome has some great features. Might be so I’ve never heard of it. You can swipe left or right in the address bar to switch tabs, or force the website to darken when the phone is in dark mode.

The main version of Chrome for Android is probably already on your phone, but if you want to try out the features Google is cooking in the oven, the beta (with a few bugs) and development (with bugs) below ) Is also linked. Anyway, there are lots of tips and tricks for using this browser on Android.

DuckDuckGo

You may already know that DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused web search engine, but did you know that it also has a web browser? The DuckDuckGo browser for Android is (very) lightweight in functionality, but still provides a great experience.

feature

Rendering engine	Android WebView
Dark mode	Partial (Forced Dark Mode on all websites, even if you are using Native Dark Mode)
Desktop sync	no
Extensions	no
Android autofill	yes

This is probably the most basic browser on this list, as it lacks desktop sync support, extensions, and some advanced features. However, tracking scripts are blocked by default, and the browser provides all sites with a privacy rating that includes a complete list of all blocked trackers. Most browsers have some tracking protection at this point, but DuckDuckGo lays out information in a very straightforward way.

By default, DuckDuckGo clears cookies after closing a tab ( Firefox Focus), But your favorite site has a setting to disable it. Internally, DuckDuckGo uses Android’s built-in rendering engine, so it lacks some of the comfort features such as tabbing by swiping the address bar, but it should work the same as Chrome. is.

The company is also busy building desktop companions and can expect to bring desktop synchronization in the future.

Samsung internet

Samsung Internet started out as a web browser pre-installed on Galaxy phones and tablets, but was released to all Android devices in 2017. It is currently one of the most popular browsers on the platform and is crowded (and in some cases overloaded). It has a function (from your point of view).

feature

Rendering engine	Blinking
Dark mode	yes
Desktop sync	Partial, Chrome extension
Extensions	yes
Android autofill	yes

Samsung Internet is based on Chrome, but has a completely custom interface that fits Samsung’s One UI design language. Some of its benefits over Chrome include tracking protection, limited add-on selection, and a button layout that’s easy to use on tall phones. You can see a detailed comparison of the two browsers to get a better idea.

My favorite feature is full dark mode support. In addition to darkening the browser interface, you can also change the appearance of your site to make it darker. This doesn’t always work as intended, but it’s great for late-night reading. Chrome and Firefox can display dark pages even when dark mode is enabled, but only if the site itself creates a dark theme. It’s a shame that Samsung recently decided to clutter new tab pages with discovery feeds like Google Chrome, but at least it’s easy to deactivate.

Like Chrome and Firefox, Samsung Internet is available in both stable and beta versions. If you like to stay on the cutting edge, try beta releases.

Vivaldi

Former Opera developers founded Vivaldi and soon became one of the most feature-rich browsers on Android. It’s based on Chrome, but the interface has been redesigned and some nice features have been added, but I think it’s less bloated and easier to configure than Samsung’s browser.

feature

Rendering engine	Blinking
Dark mode	yes
Desktop sync	yes
Extensions	no
Android autofill	yes

Vivaldi uses a tabstrip at the top by default, similar to a desktop web browser. This is especially useful for tablets and phones in landscape mode. A bottom panel to perform key functions without reaching the top of the screen, an Opera-style Speed ​​Dial page when opening a new tab, an optional always-on-desktop mode, and options for tracking scripts. There is also a blocker. If you are interested in that kind of thing (or rely on it for accessibility reasons), you can even style your website to your liking.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge Yet another Chromium-based browser for Android. Initially there were only minor changes compared to Chrome, but now it’s well separated from Google’s browser interface, so there’s a real use case.

feature

Rendering engine	Blinking
Dark mode	yes
Desktop sync	yes
Extensions	Elementary (some “content blockers” are supported)
Android autofill	yes

The bar at the bottom of Edge gives you quick access to frequently needed browsing features, customizes new tab pages to your liking, and uses Bing to collect rewards. There are some notable features besides desktop synchronization, such as integration with Microsoft’s Family Management tools. Still, it’s almost great for those who are deeply involved in the Microsoft ecosystem. Like the desktop version, it’s just Chrome with a different look.

Brave

At this time, there is no way around Brave when creating the best browser summaries for Android. The self-proclaimed privacy-first tracking block browser is one of the fastest and most fully featured options. You can’t deny it. Available on all relevant platforms and optionally synchronizes data between all installations. This includes cryptocurrency wallets that can be used to pay for interested authors and websites (disclosure: including ourselves).You can also surf the internet anonymously in your browser Via native Tor connection It is the first product to support distributed HTTPS alternative IPFS. The company behind it is also working on privacy-focused Google search alternatives, which can be almost a holy grail for privacy-conscious people.

feature

Rendering engine	Blinking
Dark mode	yes
Desktop sync	yes
Extensions	no
Android autofill	yes

However, the recommendations for this product are still hesitant. For one thing, Brave was created by former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich. He had to leave this position immediately in 2014. Because of some controversy Starting with a political contribution in 2008, it has negatively impacted Mozilla’s core values ​​(no explanation). Second, browser opt-in advertising strategies can be seen primarily as a scheme for earning brave money, rather than content creators. Brave steals ads from websites and forces you to sign up for Brave’s self-made cryptocurrency to retain at least a portion of the revenue lost by ad blocking. Nor can users choose to pocket their revenue by displaying Brave ads instead of donating to the site.

Brave was also found inserting referral codes in the URLs of some cryptocurrency trading pages. CEO Aihi said on Twitter that there were no problems with this private practice. Worthwhile, the browser has opt-in practice since then, but it leaves a sour taste.

kiwi

Last year, Kiwi was delayed in terms of regular updates and had to be removed from the list of the best browsers. If new browser vulnerabilities are constantly discovered, they don’t look good. If you fast forward so far, the situation looks good as you are currently running Chromium version 101 and it will be updated more frequently. When switching from Chrome, Kiwi’s user interface makes you feel like you’re at home.

feature

Rendering engine	Blinking
Dark mode	yes
Desktop sync	no
Extensions	yes
Android autofill	yes

There are some neat additions, but most notably, support for Chrome desktop extensions that enhance the experience. In addition, there is a dark mode that allows you to make your website follow the theme. If you use your cell phone frequently in dark places, you will be pleased. Other features include blocking native ads, a bottom address bar, language translations, and options to completely disable AMP pages.

One thing you’ll miss in Kiwi is the lack of desktop sync because the browser isn’t available on any desktop platform. If that doesn’t necessarily bother you, kiwi is definitely worth a try.

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Browsers that were not included

There are some popular browsers for Android that were not included in this list. Instead of answering questions about the missing app in the comments, I thought it might be better to explain our reason.

• Opera browser: Previously I included Opera Mini here. This is because data saver mode is still almost unmatched (even if it breaks many web pages). Opera’s other Android browsers are generally good products. However, Opera also operates several loan applications that previously violated Play Store guidelines and harassed user contacts. This is not a big sign for a company’s web browser.
• Xiaomi mint browser: Xiaomi web browsers are popular in Asia and other regions where Xiaomi sells most phones. However, MintBrowser has found code that sends all search queries made in secret mode to Xiaomi’s servers. Xiaomi later added an option to disable this action, but it wasn’t enabled by default and the browser was updated only after a few days of complaints and news coverage.

If you are looking for a new browser, you have to find what you like here. Once you’ve settled on your search engine, there are also many useful apps you might want to add to your phone.