Hello everyone,
I’m looking for recommendations for an Android browser that offers a good balance between efficiency (performance/battery usage) and security/privacy.
I’m currently using Fennec, but I’ve noticed it isn’t very efficient in terms of performance, which made me wonder why many modern browsers feel so heavy and resource-intensive despite their focus on security and performance.
Are there any lightweight yet secure browsers you would suggest?
Thanks in advance!
Hi,
personally I use Cromite since it has a built-in adblocker and it also supports extensions in contrast to other Chromium-based browsers on Android. Even thought it’s not that much lightweight and it isn’t included on the main F-droid repo, it’s still open-souce and licensed under GLP3. So I guess, unless you wanna use a Fenix-based browser, for me Cromite feels like a solid choice. I don’t know other people what they think about it.
Or else if you wanna use browsers from the main F-droid Repo, I think Privacy Browser is the best one in this case
I have used Cromite in the past but I switched to fennec due to availability of more basic features which firefox and chrome both had but chromite didn’t.
Let me try your second recommendation of browser you have mentioned in your message.
Note that this one depends on your Android installed Webview, aka Chrome provided by your Android distro
Well, let me know how it goes with privacy browser goes. However, as for Cromite I think I’ll just stick to it because I guess I just like the way it is
This browser runs faster and uses less RAM than Fennec/Firefox, but don’t support Extensions and have less functions. Works on the Chromium. But I’m not sure yet about how safe this browser is.
Bromite has been discontinued and is be replaced by Cromite.
Should I change my default webview? Is there any performance and efficiency difference?
You need to have root and a bunch of other bits, maybe Magisk or whatever.
Also, you’ll just switch which build of Chrome you want, because only those are compatible.
Then I should stay away from that. Thanks
tbh i would recommend Ironfox for improved privacy and security
if not login probably go for TOR or WebLibre Browser
No. In Developer Options you can change that. The moste CustomOS and also an amount of StockOS support other WebViews than the defeault Google WebView.
The signature of the custom Webview needs to be in the system, iirc.
Which OEM stock OS allows random webviews?
The only exception: WebLibre is great with SpaceBar, which is also FOSS.
Not random: But selected (as in the CustomOS).
My old Samsung used to be able to do that. There was one from Samsung (pre-installed), the Beta or the Nightly from Google, and I think there were some in the Galaxy Store as well.
Sure, as I said, not user selected. You can’t drop Vanadium or Mulch or Bromite or Cromite or whatevermin there.
Isn’t that the point of this topic? To find an effective browser? You obviously know that people have wildly varying opinions. Their browser of choice isn’t consistent with others.