7 Best Open Source Browser for Android (2018)
If you're tired of using the same old browsers on your Android device and want to explore something new, open source browsers might be the way to go. Unlike regular browsers, open source apps allow you to look at the code behind them, giving you the freedom to customize and improve them to your liking. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the best free and open source Android browsers that you should try.
Brave
Brave is a fast-growing browser available for both Android and desktop users. Its main focus is on speed, security, and privacy. Brave comes with features like a built-in ad-blocker, battery optimization, HTTPS Everywhere, 3rd party cookie blocking, and script blocking. One unique feature of Brave is its dashboard, where you can see how many ads, trackers, and scripts were blocked. It also has a data optimization feature that blocks data-intensive elements like images and videos to save data consumption.
Brave is available on all platforms, making it a versatile choice for users who want a consistent browsing experience across devices. If you're looking for an open source alternative to Chrome, Brave is worth a try.
Price: Free.
Firefox Focus
Firefox Focus is a lightweight open-source browser that focuses on privacy. It automatically blocks ads and trackers and deletes your browsing history and cookies as soon as you exit the browser. With its small size of less than 5 MB, Firefox Focus is a great choice for users who value their privacy and don't need advanced features like bookmarking.
Price: Free.
Zirco Browser
Zirco Browser is a simple and straightforward open-source browser that offers all the essential features like bookmarks, history, and downloads manager. It also includes a built-in ad-blocker to save data and protect you from unwanted tracking. Although its user interface may take some time to get used to, Zirco Browser provides a smooth browsing experience.
Price: Free.
Lightning Browser
Lightning Browser is a lightweight and fast open-source browser for Android. It offers features like browsing history, support for tabs, bookmarks, built-in adblock, search suggestions, and a reading mode. It also supports TOR Orbit proxy for enhanced privacy. Lightning Browser is a great choice for users who want a lightweight browser with essential features.
Price: Free, with a pro version available for additional features.
Privacy Browser
Privacy Browser is a fully-featured open-source browser designed to protect your information. It offers features like blocking first-party and third-party cookies, disabling DOM storage, blocking trackers and ads, support for Tor Orbot proxy, full-screen browsing, and SSL pinning. One notable feature is the ability to configure specific settings for each domain. If you're looking for a browser that offers privacy, customization, and a great user interface, Privacy Browser is a solid choice.
Price: Free.
IceCatMobile
IceCatMobile is a browser built upon Firefox and uses the Gecko layout rendering engine. It comes with features like a built-in SpyBlock that blocks trackers, ads, and third-party cookies, protection against JavaScript traps, HTTPS Everywhere, and browser fingerprinting countermeasures. IceCatMobile also supports plugins and add-ons.
Price: Free.
F|L|OSS Browser
F|L|OSS Browser is a lightweight browser that offers all the essential features in a unique and easy-to-use user interface. It supports unlimited tabs, quick tab switching, bookmarking, screenshot capture, mobile and desktop user agents, multiple search engines, and dark mode.
Price: Free.
These are some of the best open source browsers for Android that offer a range of features and customization options. Give them a try and find the one that suits your browsing needs the best.
Read: UC Browser is Not Safe: Try These 5 Alternatives Instead
Jim's passion for Apple products ignited in 2007 when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. This was a canon event in his life. Noticing a lack of iPad-focused content that is easy to understand even for “tech-noob”, he decided to create Tabletmonkeys in 2011.
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