Similar to how Android lets you fine-tune the look and feel of your home screen, the best Android browsers let you personalize your mobile web browsing experience.
Although we still believe Google Chrome to be the finest Android browser for the majority of users, alternative browsers prioritize speed, privacy, or readability, and some even provide their VPN-like proxy services. Many of the Android browsers on this list, like Chrome, can sync with their desktop equivalents so that you can access your history, saved passwords, or even send open tabs from your computer to your phone. Have you checked browsers for Linux?
Whatever your requirements and tastes, one of the top Android browsers we’ve thoroughly tested and used on our own Android devices is probably the perfect fit for you.
These Android Browsers Enhance Your Browsing Experience
1. Chrome
SPECIFICATIONS.
Syncing on the desktop: Yes to ad blocking
Private browsing options: Incognito browsing
It can be difficult to argue against using the default browser on the majority of Android devices if you’re OK with living in the Google ecosystem and think that the corporation has something to gain from knowing everything about your online activities.
If you don’t use one of the top password managers, Chrome’s ability to sync between its desktop and mobile versions is useful because it gives you the choice to access passwords you’ve saved there. Given that Chrome is the most popular browser and that every web developer takes Google’s browser into account when creating a website, Chrome is also the most dependable choice.
Numerous other features are available with Chrome, including secure payment method storage, a data-saving “Lite” mode, automatic language translation for dozens of languages, a harmful ad filter, a pop-up blocker, and the ability to group tabs.
Chrome undoubtedly checks off the majority of the important mission-critical feature boxes, even though it doesn’t quite match the number of capabilities you can get with Firefox or Opera. A recent upgrade to Chrome improved secure surfing and included the ability to recognize when you’re using a hacked password.
There are three other Chrome apps: Chrome Beta (opens in a new tab), Chrome Dev (opens in a new tab), and Chrome Canary (closes in a new tab) if you want a sneak peek at what’s coming soon to Chrome or if you want to test out some features that might not make it to the main Chrome browser (opens in new tab).
You should probably use the standard Chrome browser for important work because every step into experimental territory involves trading in a little bit of dependability. However, it’s entertaining to experiment with new features that Chrome is presently developing.
Additionally, if you’ve been using Chrome for a long, you might be interested in reading our article on how to make Chrome on Android faster.
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2. Opera
Opera is quick and excellent for data saving.
SPECIFICATIONS.
Syncing on the desktop: Yes to ad blocking
Privacy features: ‘Browser VPN’ integration and incognito mode
Another desktop and mobile browser that offers all the advantages to both versions’ users is Opera.
With a data-saving option that compresses videos and regular web pages, Opera differentiates from the rest of the top Android browsers. Pages load more quickly as a result of the decreased data usage. If you don’t have access to one of the finest unlimited data plans, your monthly data allocation won’t be consumed as rapidly.
Additionally, Opera provides a free built-in VPN-like capability that assigns you a virtual IP address; however, it should be noted that the VPN feature and data-saving mode cannot be used simultaneously. (Technically, the “VPN” is just an Opera browser app proxy service. One of the top Android VPN apps is required to secure the communications of other apps.) It now also prevents web trackers.
Opera was one of the fastest browsers I tested, even with all of its capabilities; only Chrome regularly outperformed it. A minor drawback of Opera is its confusing user interface, which might cause distraction from the top and bottom menus. Several variations of the Opera browser are also available. Opera Touch (opens in new tab) is designed for one-handed surfing, while Opera Mini (opens in new tab) is concentrated on data conservation.
3. Firefox
A strong substitute if you wish to stay away from Google.
SPECIFICATIONS.
Computer Syncing: Yes The answer is yes, with extensions.
Privacy features: Secure browsing and anti-tracking
If you use Firefox as your primary desktop browser and want to use it on your Android phone as well, there’s a compelling motivation to do so.
If you create a Firefox account and sign in on all of your devices, your passwords, history, and bookmarks will sync. If you frequently use one tab on your desktop, Firefox on Android will highlight it for you on your phone.
For better or worse, Firefox offers remarkable levels of customization thanks to a variety of themes and extensions that let you change just about every aspect of the browser.
Firefox is the right choice for you if you prefer to choose how your browser’s tabs appear, what color everything should be, and precisely which functions you want to be able to access. However, if that seems like a nightmare, you better look elsewhere because even the most basic configuration of Firefox requires some tinkering.
Fans of Firefox who are particularly concerned about security might look at the more recent Firefox Focus (opens in new tab). In favor of privacy protection, it sacrifices some of the capabilities of its older sibling.
The Firefox Focus feature, which always opens links in a private tab, was recently added to Firefox. As an alternative, Firefox for Android Beta and Firefox Nightly for Developers are more avant-garde variations of the browser (opens in a new tab). Although the VPN costs $5 per month, it is also available as a separate software from Firefox parent firm Mozilla(opens in a new tab).
A grid view for open tabs and a dark mode are two new additions to the Firefox version. To make room for larger phones, Firefox lowered the URL bar to the bottom of the screen. (If you’d like, you can reposition the bar at the top.) You may now organize and store tabs using the new Collections feature, which should be useful for research projects.
4. DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser.
Suitable browser if you value your privacy.
SPECIFICATIONS.
Desktop syncing is not supported Ad blocking prevents tracking.
Privacy features search privacy and encrypted connections.
DuckDuckGo removes any ad trackers that might be attempting to follow you around the web and will automatically use the strongest encryption level offered by the website you are visiting as its default setting. It even assigns a “privacy grade” of A to F to each website you visit.
This protection still falls far short of a VPN even if the browser itself isn’t sending any of your activities back to the DuckDuckGo search engine. A separate VPN app is required if you want to keep your activities hidden from anybody, including your carrier and the Wi-Fi network you are using. (If you’re looking for a VPN, check out our list of the top VPN providers.)
You won’t be able to sync between devices because DuckDuckGo lacks a desktop counterpart or a mechanism to create an account. However, it is sort of the purpose of this privacy-conscious business.
5. Microsoft Edge
A quick browser that has a great Read It Later mode.
SPECIFICATIONS.
Syncing on the desktop: Yes to ad blocking
Private browsing and tracking protection are privacy features.
With Edge’s second iteration, Microsoft has produced a compelling Chromium-based browser. Although you can change how it looks and feels, the Android version has undergone a stylish makeover to match the desktop browser. It’s a respectable option that syncs with your Microsoft account.
Microsoft Edge now supports various add-ons that are extension-based in other programs, including an ad blocker, translation services, password manager, tracking blocker, pricing checker, voice search, and something called NewsGuard, in addition to finally adding support for extensions. Concerning their “journalistic criteria of reliability and openness,” this latter feature rates news websites.
Sadly, Edge has discontinued its reading-list function, which provided the complete content of an article rather than a condensed or text-only version.
In contrast to the desktop version of Edge, the mobile browser makes changing the default search engine simple. If you want, you may use Google instead of Bing in your Microsoft browser, though we’ve discovered that Bing performs admirably as well.
6. Vivaldi
Unusual appearance and ingenious features built in.
SPECIFICATIONS.
Desktop synchronization: Blocking ads: Yes
Private browsing and encrypted syncing are privacy features.
The original Opera team’s Vivaldi desktop browser offers a wide range of customization choices, but its Android version is more concerned with providing distinctive features.
Your primary view is Vivaldi’s Speed Dial, an aesthetically pleasing and simple quick launcher for bookmarks.
You might find the built-in rich text Notes tab, the native full-page screen capture, the Clone tab option, which brings up a duplicate of your current tab to prevent losing it, and the translation tool, which can handle web pages in 108 languages, useful when performing online research. You can even use the built-in 2D shooting game, and QR code reader to access websites without having to launch a separate barcode reader program and tab width settings.
Regardless of whichever search engine is currently set as your default, you may quickly switch to one of eight widely used alternatives by just clicking in the address bar. Tap one of the search icons that will show below to utilize it.
Overall, Vivaldi performed quickly, but even a minute or more after loading a lengthier post, I would frequently see the placeholder for an image or spacing for a video or advertisement as I scrolled.
I understand the need to deliver the text as rapidly as possible, but delaying the loading of the remaining page content until I scroll is going too far and making the user experience worse. Vivaldi has a fascinating feature set that I expect to see its developers continue to expand upon, even while it doesn’t have the extension support or more potent ad-blocking tools seen in some of the other best Android browsers. You can now relocate the address and tab bars to the bottom of your screen if that’s how you roll, and since I last tested the browser, support for custom ad-blocking lists has been introduced.
7. Brave Web Explorer
Strong ad-blocking and a special ad-rewards program.
SPECIFICATIONS.
Desktop synchronization: Yes to ad blocking
Private browsing and encrypted connections are privacy benefits.
Only a few of the websites I frequently visit were registered with Brave’s BAT tokens, although this varies widely from user to user. A small checkmark displays on the Brave logo in the top-right corner of the browser when you are on a compatible site, albeit there is no official list of Brave publishers.
The browser itself takes care of all the essentials while also including a few pleasant extras, like the option to specify various preferred search engines on standard versus private tabs and some rather granular privacy settings. Brave does allow you to group tabs, but there aren’t many options for changing the appearance or feel beyond activating a dark theme or lowering the address bar to the bottom of the screen.
Other privacy-friendly features include mandating HTTPS connections when available, preventing cookies and browser fingerprinting, and even preventing JavaScript, which will render many websites unusable. However, Brave’s desktop version no longer offers the simple option to use the Tor anonymizing protocol.
Although Brave strips out adverts and trackers, which should theoretically slow down loading times, the initial load times for surfing are comparable to those of our other top choices.
Even on sites with lots of advertisements and trackers, I noticed no discernible benefit despite the app’s claim of “estimated time saved” on the home screen.
You’ll probably appreciate the Android version of the Brave browser if you use the desktop version because it will sync your material and keep track of your Brave Rewards. A recent update sought to improve Brave’s synchronizing capabilities.
However, Brave doesn’t offer much that sets it apart from the other top Android browsers listed higher on this list.
How to pick your ideal Android browser
The pre-installed browser on most people’s phones will be the greatest Android browser. If using Google Chrome to browse the web on your smartphone isn’t giving you any issues, you should probably stay using it and stop worrying about having to find a different browser.
The mobile version of the browser you use can be more practical if you don’t use Chrome on your desktop or laptop. If any of these are your go-to desktop browsers, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Opera, Brave, and Vivaldi all have Android versions that are worth checking out. The best Android browsers should also have privacy and ad-blocking features, so keep that in mind as you compare them. A lot of popular browsers have some variation of these capabilities, but if you want an additional degree of privacy, you might want to choose a browser that focuses on protecting your online behavior from prying eyes.
How do we evaluate Android browsers?
Our initial browser testing was done on an Android 9 Pie-powered Pixel 3, but your experience won’t change much depending on the device you use. We examined more than six different browsers for our research, concentrating on those that receive regular updates.
To make sure that the experience hasn’t dramatically altered as a result of later Android updates, we also frequently revisit the browsers we’ve tested to look for new features.
On one of the top Android devices, we use each browser exclusively during our testing process to browse the web until we have a general understanding of the features and user experience.
Additionally, we examine each browser on this list for loading times and how well they handle websites that aren’t optimized for mobile devices, such as those for banks or neighborhood restaurants. In addition, we test each browser’s ability to block pop-up ads by visiting websites with plenty of advertisements.