Best Browsers on Android Configuration (Poll!)

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Update

I have read both this poll and the one on PrivacyGuides, and I have put together a new stack:

  • Vanadium as my main browser. By simply disabling JS and using a half-decent ad-blocking DNS, I can get a decent experience. In theory, the browser’s similarity to vanilla Chrome should also help me blend in with other Android users, though I should probably test this. As for difficult and unavoidable sites, I can just enable JS or use the Internet Archive; no secondary browser needed.
  • Brave as my main browser. Basically, Vanadium doesn’t have any sort of “forget me when I close this site” function, or even a “clear data on close” function. I could just use incognito mode for everything, but I’d definitely forget quite often. So, as the runner-up, Brave now takes Vanadium’s place.
  • IronFox for PWAs. I could probably get away with something simpler, but I am using Instagram as one of my PWAs (an unfortunate necessity, as my old friends do not use any other social media and the group chat has been fairly dead since 2024), so the presence of uBlock Origin and Greasemonkey are quite handy. I also find that Invidious works a little better under Gecko, but that’s probably just me.
  • Tor Browser for extra privacy and hidden services. I will rarely, if ever, be using this on my phone unless something quite bad happens, or if someone gives me a .onion link.
  • Privacy Browser for eepsites. I use I2P even less often than Tor, and I mainly just explore it rather than use it. Privacy Browser, while WebView-based, does a better job of linking up with i2pd than other browsers I’ve tried.

Why not XYZ?

  • Brave - I was prepared to use this if there were enough people saying I should, but between Eich, their AI, and their crypto, I’m not in any great rush.
  • Cromite - It has no place in my stack. Vanadium is a better fit for general browsing, IronFox is better at restricting Instagram, and the Tor Project doesn’t recommend using anything other than Tor Browser to access the network.

I’ll be leaving this poll open, because data is beautiful and my preferences will probably change over time.

Thanks, everyone!

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