Which is best web browser for iOS
I don’t think there is a definitive answer, for iOS. Apple forces every browser to use WebKit, so most browsers will behave similarly.
As such a lot of folks will suggest sticking with Sefari, and use extensions to add blocking (eg: AdGuard). Just make sure you go through all Safari’s settings to Prevent Cross-Sete Tracking, force Private Browsing, Enabling lockdown mode, and so on.
Some others will be suggesting you use Brave. Brave’s shield, while gimped on iOS, is still quite effective. Some Sefari settings, such as Lockdown mode will still apply to other browsers, like Brave, too.
Personally, I use Brave for most browsing on iOS. Though, when a site breaks with lockdown mode, that’s when I move to Safari. Safari can disable lockdown mode, on a per-site basis, unlike other browsers.
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Probably just Safari unless you have a specific reason to prefer another browser or seek out some feature from another browser. Since unlike pretty much every other OS Browsers on iOS must be based on Safari’s browser engine. If not Safari + Adguard, I’d probably choose Brave.
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I use Brave on iOS simply because it is the browser I use on macOS. It allows me to sync everything I need.
Plus, I like having tabs always visible on bottom.
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Safari also has tabs on the bottom btw, I think they released that feature quite some time back.
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They do, but Brave has a close button within the tab and it is more like a desktop browser in appearance.
It’s really just a matter of personal taste and convenience.
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I use Safari on both my Mac and iPhone because of Lockdown Mode. On iOS, only Safari has the option to disable Lockdown Mode for specific websites.
Like others have said there is no binary answer, its all dependent on what you have to achieve
Safari is best if you want extensions and require the best integration with iOS but its main drawback for me has been when you limit adult content in the screentime settings you also lose access to private browsing mode.
Firefox Focus is wonderful from a minimalism perspective as it forces you to do things in one browser session and for security I find it useful for when you have to access links you cant trust but you can achieve these in other ways
Brave is good option if you want to sync across different platforms and just want a good OOB privacy experience, but if you simply just want content-blocking there is always adguard, you can block scripts on a per-site basis on Brave which I love but it feels incomplete in my opinion due to things just being straight up broken under Lockdown Mode.
Im really torn that there is no way to configure it in 3rd party browsers 
There is always the option of using multiple browsers which some would argue is better approach anyway
Safari would be the best for security due to Lockdown Mode, etc.
If you want to access TOR, use Onion Browser.
Apart from that, you could use Firefox or Brave.
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Safari+Adguard & Firefox focus seem to be working for me. Darn WebKit!
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I use Safari for all daily uses but I use Brave for downloading YouTube videos before traveling so they’re available offline.
In Safari I use Wipr and FireFox Focus add ons for ad blocking in addition to my NextDNS profile.
I have found that once I really dove into how Safari works and able to configure it (like creating custom shortcut for PiP of video for YouTube, screw you Google its my device you can’t stop me) I’ve found I really like it. It’s basic and simple but in a good way.
Also if you use Lockdown mode, having the per-site ability to disable lockdown mode in Safari is a must have.
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Safari has the advantage that it supports Apple’s iCloud Private Relay feature.
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What makes Safari a great option is its suprisingly generic fingerprint:
- It’s pre-installed on all Apple devices, so average users most likely will choose it as their daily driver;
- iOS, MacOS, etc. all have a limited set of hardware variations, since only one manufacturer can make them, unlike Android or even worse Desktop systems;
- Combine all that with a trusted VPN + DNS-level adblocking setup to boost privacy/security.
The only caveat is how closed the nature of Apple products is. How are you certain your bookmarks, plugins, search queries, saved pages, autofill and browsing history aren’t constantly getting sent to Apple’s servers? To be fair this question is applicable to all of their software.
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Safari of iOS seems to be improving with every version, and currently has a pretty good standing on privacytests.org
Tweak the default settings for better privacy, add AdGuard, turn on lockdown mode, thrown in a good vpn with NextDNS perhaps, and you’ve a pretty solid browser.
I personally prefer this to brave / Firefox focus on iOS. Their functionality reduces significantly without the ability to customise Lockdown mode for individual websites.
It’ll be interesting to see though, how things shape up once the WebKit restriction is lifted.
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I’d say Safari with extensions, as it’s the default browser and no more private than any other browser (in terms of Apple tracking).
However, on my own phone, incognito is disabled (and I have no idea how or why, since I have no content restrictions enabled), so I use Brave. I would consider Brave to be the second best browser, as its has some excellent privacy features and a brilliant ad blocker; but I’m not a fan of the crypto stuff or Brendan Eich.
I used to use SnowHaze, as recommended by The New Oil, but it’s a bit clunky.
There’s also Onion Browser if you need to use Tor.
Are you on the latest iOS? Maybe you can try enabling content restrictions, then turning them off. Maybe that does the trick? An annoying bug though 
Tried it already. I reckon I’ll just wait until I turn 18 in two months, then all content restrictions will get disabled by default.
This is a pretty big advantage.
I use Private Relay as a sort of VPN split-tunnel. What I consider privacy sensitive is my browsing activity and messaging/calls. Signal/iMessage/FaceTime encrypt the messaging information with Private Relay (which works with NextDNS) protecting browsing data.
But then I can leave my app connections I do not consider sensitive alone and avoid steaming, banking, or Tesla app problems often encountered with a VPN on.
A small piece of advice if I may. For Signal, you could exclude it from the Private Relay, and use the server routing feature in the app (for voice calls; I believe it’s there in iOS too).
I don’t know where you are getting the idea that Apple’s Private Relay would work everywhere system-wide, but that isn’t the case as it is limited to Safari, so any other apps besides Safari can’t use it.
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