The browser is one of the most important applications on any device. It is difficult to overestimate its importance when surfing the Internet. But choosing the one that suits you best from the dozens of options in the Google Play Market is not easy, because you need to take into account a lot of not always clear options..
We have tested all these browsers and compiled this rating to make it easier for you to choose. Although Chrome is the fastest on the Android platform, in terms of functionality, it is as simple as a penny. Mozilla has the best library of extensions, but its load times are too slow. UC is pretty good, but its ads are too intrusive. So, overall, Yandex Browser is the best choice in our opinion. It is beautiful and safe, has a voice search function and the entire interface is completely in Russian.
Google chrome
Of course, we cannot ignore the most popular browser for Android - Google Chrome . Many people buy gadgets with Chrome already installed and continue to use it. And, by the way, they act very wisely!
The browser allows you to synchronize with other computers and gadgets. You can open an unlimited number of tabs in it. It introduces deeper Android integration and functionality suitable for both casual and advanced users. You can always try new features by downloading the next beta version of Google Chrome..
Yandex browser
Yandex Browser is our favorite. Compared to competitors, it has a number of advantages, which we will now talk about. For example, there is an ergonomic and beautiful home page where you can change the background image or bookmarks, which are made in the form of tiles (notably, the search bar is at the bottom).
The built-in AI will track your activity on the Internet and change the news feed in the Yandex.Zen recommendation service in accordance with your interests. Voice search options are more accurate than Google's. The speed of the browser itself is also one of the best. It scored 515 out of 555 in html5 benchmarks, beating Firefox and Opera. Only Chrome was able to surpass it..
It also supports add-ons from the Opera extension store. Although this particular feature needs to be improved, since not all add-ons are compatible. There is a built-in ad blocker (Adguard). Advertising is quite small (it is only present in the news feed) compared to other browsers like UC (which literally shoots you with advertisements on the home screen). And finally, this browser has a turbo mode, which will be extremely useful for users with low Internet speeds . compresses images on sites (without loss of quality) for faster loading.
Tor / Orbot
The Tor browser is available on the Android platform, it can be installed from the Google Play Market, but it is hosted under a different name - Orbot .
Orbot is software that allows owners of mobile devices to access the Internet, instant messaging and email services without worrying about the fact that their actions will be monitored or blocked by Internet providers. For encrypted instant messaging, install Gibberbot, which can connect to the Tor network and the Off-the-Record cryptographic protocol.
Orbot includes Tor and libevent. Also this software provides local HTTP proxy and standard SOCKS4A / SOCKS5 proxies on the Tor network. Orbot can discreetly pass all TCP traffic through the Tor networks on your phone, provided it has been granted all the necessary permissions and system libraries.
For Android devices starting from the second version, you must root your device and update the iptables firmware (command line utility) to be able to invisibly use proxies for all TCP traffic.
For non-rooted unmodified devices, you will need to manually reconfigure HTTP and SOCKS proxies for specific applications. You can also download Firefox with the Proxy Mobile Add-on from the Google Play store, or install the ND Browser (only works in text mode). These two methods will allow traffic to flow through the Tor networks on non-rooted devices.
Dolphin
The Dolphin browser has managed to gain popularity among Android users, because it has a decent set of functions. Themes, flash, ad blocking, incognito mode and some tertiary features like gesture control are supported.
Added support for add-ons and extensions. Dolphin has a lot of fans. This browser satisfies the requirements of most users and more than deservedly ranks one of the first places in the list of the best.
Firefox Focus
The main goal of Firefox Focus is to ensure maximum user privacy. This is why you won't find any browsing history, tabs, a list of most visited websites, or similar features available in most modern browsers here.
Instead, Firefox Focus comes with a large set of tools to cover your tracks: it blocks cookies and prevents sites from remembering user actions. In addition, it erases all information about the session immediately after it ends. With the help of a special button, you can do it manually at any time.
Firefox Focus blocks all plugins running in the background, which improves the speed of your browser and loading web pages. You yourself can choose the elements that you allow to work - for example, disable the code of web analytics systems, but enable cookies, without which problems often arise with certain sites.
Firefox
Firefox has come a long way since its inception in the software market. And currently it remains one of the most advanced browsers for Android. It boasts impressive features including: sync (bookmarks, history, etc.), privacy, easy-to-use bookmarks, resource sharing, Chromecast digital broadcast support, and access to a range of add-ons and extensions to improve your surfing experience.
Opera Touch
Opera Touch is ideal for those who find it difficult to use large smartphones. Instead of the usual set of buttons at the bottom of the window, this browser supports only one button control. It is enough to hold it and move it in a certain direction in order to perform different actions. This allows you to navigate to another tab, refresh pages, and more.
Opera Touch also has several other useful tools. For example, My Flow allows you to quickly exchange content between Opera on your PC and smartphone, and a special option blocks unwanted websites that use the device's resources to mine cryptocurrencies in the background.
Opera Mini
Opera Mini is a lighter version of the browser designed to work on devices with weak technical characteristics. Immediately after installation, you will have access to incognito mode, a smart content download function with tracking mobile traffic, a night theme, the ability to change search engines, data synchronization between devices, and much more.
The download function is unique and has several modes of operation. Open the Opera Mini menu and then go to Settings → Downloads. A graph will appear with the data loaded for the past week. You can leave everything as it is, or choose the maximum data compression modes to reduce mobile traffic costs.
In high compression mode, the browser will run the web page through a proxy server and send a lighter version of it to your phone. But at maximum compression, this process will be even more aggressive, which can lead to incorrect display of sites. Only use it when you have very little space or when your internet connection is too bad.
DuckDuckGo Browser
The main job of DuckDuckGo Browser is to protect your privacy and keep you informed about how secure a particular website is. The assessment is based on several analysis methods: the presence of HTTPS encryption, pop-up ads, and the presence of trackers. This information is displayed next to the address bar.
You can configure the application to work manually by blocking various elements. So, the Fire button closes all personal user data, like in Firefox Focus, although when the session is closed, the information about browsing sites is not automatically deleted.
Lynket Browser
The Lynket browser is for those who are fed up with Android custom tabs. They were initially disordered due to lack of attention from Google. Today they have two major drawbacks: they prevent multitasking and are removed when you return to the application.
Lynket fixes this with an interesting approach: It displays each link in a separate tab. It's easier to work this way by quickly switching between them. Moreover, the browser adds these links to history, so you won't lose them even if you accidentally delete them.
Custom tabs can also be launched in the background, which is broadly similar to a minimized Facebook Messenger chat. Lynket uses the Custom Tabs functionality, which allows you to apply the architecture of any other browser and synchronize existing data with it.
Samsung Internet Browser
Samsung Internet is one of the most interesting Android browsers. Mainly because this is an OEM application that many would call functionally redundant and resource intensive. It has support for gestures, plugins, quick menus, and some Material Design elements from Google. Some plugins even allow you to block advertisements. The browser is currently available in beta. Still, this is Samsung, so we hope that an improved version will appear in the near future.
Via Browser
Via Browser is built on top of Chromium WebView. Its main feature is simplicity, but its functionality is not cut down, so users have many options for customizing the appearance. In Via, you can customize almost everything.
Click on the icon with three stripes, select "Options" to open the settings screen. Here you can set any background image, change the transparency of the background, and even change the browser logo.
If privacy is important to you, keep in mind that incognito mode is available here, as well as automatic deletion of history after closing. Even the navigation buttons can be assigned specific tasks (long touches). For example, the Back button can be reassigned to scroll up a page, and the Forward button to scroll down.
Via also has more advanced features. You can change the network protocol, block pictures when using the mobile Internet, save web pages and much more. It is an excellent choice for older phone models because the application only takes up 2MB of memory.
Monument Browser
Monument Browser is fast and reliable and was designed to get the most out of your reading and surfing experience. Open the menu and select "Settings" to open the options screen. The search bar moves from top to bottom, it is possible to change the network protocol or change the default search engine.
There are also several interesting options available when visiting sites - to get acquainted with them, open the menu and select "Extra". Night mode and reading mode are also available, in which the fonts are changed or the voice acting of the article text is turned on. You can also save any article in PDF format or take a screenshot of it.
In addition, the application has built-in the ability to download audio, video and entire pages for working with them offline. Open the menu, then enable Media Download to activate this function. While watching a video, the picture-in-picture technology will automatically turn on.
Phoenix Browser
Phoenix Browser uses Chromium-based WebView technology and is a lightweight solution with built-in ability to download videos for later viewing without opening other tabs.
After installing the application, you will see the news of your region, your favorite games and the most visited sites that appear on the home page. True, there is a small problem with advertising alerts. If they are annoying, just turn off the settings in the "Home Page Manager", do not forget to also turn off notifications completely.
Phoenix Browser has some cool features. To access them, open the menu, then click on the "Tools" icon. Turn on the "Personal space" mode - all history and videos will be stored in a separate database. Thus, other users will not be able to view your sites or videos.
Overall, this browser has both pros and cons. Travel often and like to watch videos offline? Phoenix should definitely be installed on your phone!
Hermit
Hermit allows you to create small applications of the most visited sites. It comes with a rich library of pre-built programs as well as a set of presets. If you can't find one of them, just enter the site url and Hermit will make an application out of it.
When you create a shortcut to a site in Chrome, it simply functions like a browser tab. And in Hermit, such shortcuts work like real applications that you can even customize for yourself. For example, some of them may work in full version, while others - in mobile.
It is also possible to turn off the display of pictures and customize a personal theme. Hermit also works with notifications from the RSS feed, allows you to create bookmarks for individual sections of the site, supports night mode and reading mode, and much more.
If you are the owner of an old Android device, then you simply have to give this browser a try. It helps to reduce battery consumption and save memory space.
Cake
When a user searches for something on the Internet, there is a high probability that he will click on the first link. A free browser called Cake takes this human psychology into account, and therefore completely removes the search engine results page. Instead, you can go directly to the first site from the SERPs, and from here using swipes to other pages. The normal search mode is also available. Remember that the lower the ranking of a site, the further up the search results it is. Cake also preloads the links that most closely resemble the one you opened.
Kiwi Browser
Based on the open source Chromium, Kiwi Browser is a simple application and is well suited for those who want to quickly browse the web without complex and numerous functions.
Kiwi Browser has a night mode optimized for OLED displays, a bottom address bar, protection against cryptocurrency background mining, and a number of other useful features.
Brave
Brave is one of the newest browsers for Android. It appeared in 2016 and is rich in functionality. It has a built-in ad blocker. In addition to blocking ads, you can configure blocking of third-party cookies and scripts. The establishment of secure connections via the HTTPS protocol is fully supported.
Individual settings of individual sites are provided (if, of course, you need such a function). The browser also tries to optimize the connection speed and battery consumption of the phone. Brave also includes most of the basic features such as bookmarks, history, and privacy (incognito mode).
Flynx
Flynx has come a long way since its inception. This unique browser works in a floating window rather than full screen mode. Good for fast surfing. One of the advantages is that you can work in any of the applications and surf the Internet in parallel. It also has a number of interesting features such as night mode.
FOSS Browser
FOSS Browser is an open source browser based on WebView technology. Its main task is maximum control of all stages of work. The search bar, tab previews and the entire navigation bar at the bottom of the screen can be operated with one hand.
The home page contains links to saved sites, bookmarks, and history. After navigating to a page, open the menu and click the Share button to send a link, screenshot or PDF file with one click.
In addition, the browser comes with an interesting security setting. Press and hold the menu button to open the Quick Navigation dialog. This is where you enable / disable JavaScript, cookies, location, pictures and more for each individual site. You can even save passwords from any web application to an encrypted database.
In addition to the standard theme and the ability to customize the interface, you can easily create a whitelist of sites that will have access to your location, JavaScript, cookies, etc. For reliability, export all this information.
