Are you looking for the best browsers for Android? If you are reading this using an Android smartphone, there are hefty chances that you have used Google Chrome to search for this.
It’s not a big surprise since Google Chrome is the default as well as one of the best android browsers in most of the Android sets, so much so that ‘googling’ has become a synonym for ‘searching in the web’ in common parlance.
It is so because of this web browser’s superior nature in terms of speed and other features.
However, if you are frustrated over the way Google tracks your activities, and there are multiple ads on your screen based on the final product you ‘googled’ or are just bored of it and want to explore other browsers out there, then here is a list of them along with the pros and cons of each to help you decide on the best browser for android phone. So let’s move towards our list of best browsers for Android.
List of the Best Browsers For Android
Here is the list of 15 Best Browsers for Android:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Opera
- Microsoft Edge
- DuckDuckGO
- Vivaldi
- Beave
- Dolphin
- Ecosia Browser
- Kiwi Browser
- Lynket Browser
- Naked Browser
- Samsung Internet Browser
- Surfy Browser
- Tor Browser
So let’s dive in and check the best browsers for Android in detail.
1. Google Chrome
Before exploring the other options, you must know what advantages the current browser used by you provides and thus why you were tactfully nudged to use it by your phone itself. First of all, the syncing by Google of your desktop and mobile browser is unparalleled.
The history of your search, the bookmarks, passwords, and such are easily retrievable from both your desktops and mobiles irrespective of the source of the original search.
This versatility sets Google Chrome apart from the rest, along with its quality of being one of the fastest browsers in the market. It has secure storage for mobile payments, password managers, an inbuilt ad-blocking feature, and automatic translations of words in numerous languages.
It is also the most reliable browser in the market, which is why most web developers will choose Google Chrome over others any day for website developments.
Moreover, a recently updated version of Chrome lets you know if you are using a compromised password. What more does anyone need?
If you are someone who is okay with Google keeping track of all your web searches and activities, then you can go ahead and keep using this browser for the myriad benefits it provides.
2. Mozilla Firefox
In the journey of best browsers for Android, how the Mozilla Firefox is left. This is a strong alternative for Google Chrome. It provides all the features that Google Chrome does, like easy syncing of desktop and mobile versions and faster searching.
But apart from that, it also allows you to customize your browsing experience heavily. You can tweak what the browser’s color and background are, where your tabs appear, and get tailored precisely the features you want. It thus provides a hands-on, personalized browsing experience.
It has an article recommendation tool and peppy extension support (which Google Chrome lacks). An updated version has a new Collections feature that lets you save the websites that you searched or want to search in the future regarding a particular research project.
There’s a Firefox version called Firefox Focus that provides more privacy controls than the standard version. However, suppose you are someone who isn’t quite driven by the idea of tailoring and customizing the browser so much.
In that case, you might want to skip Mozilla Firefox since even its most basic version will require some customization settings by the user.
Also, a few functionalities that are originally available in the other browsers will need an extension to be activated in Firefox.
3. Opera
This is another popular alternative for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. It also does provide easy mirroring and syncing of its desktop and mobile versions.
It is relatively fast, and only Google Chrome can outdo it in this department. One of the best features available in Opera is that it allows you to save data.
It has a data saver mode that can compress the images and videos and hence save quite a significant amount of data. It also has a free VPN like the feature that provides you with a virtual IP address.
It has two exciting versions- Opera Mini and Opera Touch. The former allows even more data saving than the original one’s data saver mode, and the latter makes one-handed browsing possible and easy.
So, if you are someone who has limited data availability (maybe your data requirements far exceed your monthly or annual data plans), then Opera is the browser for you. However, it has some glitches worth mentioning. The VPN feature and the data saver mode cannot both be used simultaneously.
Also, the interface with tabs both at the top and bottom can be quite puzzling and might need some getting used to if you have recently transitioned from some other browser to Opera.
4. Microsoft Edge
Recently Microsoft upped its game and came up with a promising new version of its browser, Microsoft Edge. It has a user-friendly interface and is synced to your Microsoft accounts.
It has an ad-blocking feature, password manager, and translation services. It is connected to the Chrome Web store, i.e., displays its features and apps as well as those of Microsoft.
Thus its compatibility with the very familiar Chrome experience makes it an easy favorite over the other alternatives. One of the striking features of Edge is that it proved an immersive reading experience.
It has a ‘Read it later’ tool, and there’s a book icon on the top, which when clicked can do away with the images and videos to give a clean text-only view if that is what you need.
An exciting feature is the News Guard feature that filters the news sources you access according to journalistic credibility, authenticity, and ethics.
So if you face someone who works with Microsoft apps and accesses Microsoft accounts more than Google accounts, then Microsoft edge will be the apt choice for you. It, however, lacks extensions and might be a little slower than the rest at times.
5. DuckDuckGo
This is one of the Browsers for Android and its one of the favorite and a must for those who value privacy over anything else. Its encrypted connections and easy “wipe data” feature (using just a button on the top right) ensures that your browsing history remains as private as possible.
It also has adblockers to block the irritant ads that frustrate you while some serious work is underway. Its minimal interface attracts the ‘no-fuss research only’ minded people.
So, if you are someone who wants freedom from Google and wants the highest web privacy, DuckDuckGo is the best alternative. It, however, lacks some of the advanced features available in mainstream browsers.
6.Vivaldi
Vivaldi has extra features that will quite handsomely aid in your research projects, like a full-screen capture feature, a notes tab to keep notes while searching, and quick switching of search engines.
It also has a Clone tab option that lets you create a duplicate version of your current tab and avoid losing it. The best feature of Vivaldi is you can quickly and easily switch to another search engine.
Thus for someone looking for a browser solely dedicated to studying and research projects, this is a compelling option.
However, sometimes it might be slow to load images (as it prefers to deliver texts as soon as possible) and it lacks ad-blocking and extension services features.
7. Brave
This is an alternate browser with robust ad-blocking facilities as it automatically blocks third-party ads. Initially, it was launched for iOS in 2018 but now is available for Android users too.
It does not store your browsing history and lets you customize the privacy settings as Chrome does. One of its standalone features is its unique Brave rewards system which rewards you with money for clicking and sees a promoted advertisement.
Thus if you are looking for a secure browser and earn a little something on the sidelines, then Brave can be a go-to second browser in your android phone. It can, however, have slow loading of the initial page.
8. Dolphin
This is a very innovative alternative to mainstream browsers because of its unique features. Like the others, it provides you with fast loading of text and images, ad-blocking facilities, incognito browsing, and exceptional quality entertainment features like flash players.
Along with all this, it has an innovative gesture system that lets you set shortcuts to your favorite websites.
For example, if you use gamezone.com frequently, then you can customize it to just draw a heart with your finger or a stylus for accessing that page. It’s as easy and as cute as that!
It also has its version of Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, called ‘Sonar’ that lets you instruct using voice and then browse.
So if you are looking for some entertaining alternative, Dolphin can be the right choice. It might need a few improvements and believe me; its developers are working on it to it one of the best browsers for Android.
9. Ecosia Browser
If you’re all about going green and reducing your carbon footprint, then go for Ecosia. It’s based on Chromium, so you’ll get everything Chrome has to offer, but out of every dollar Ecosia makes from its browser, 80 cents will go to fighting deforestation and planting more green.
It’s pretty bare-bones and can give you some weird results. The dark mode is also missing in its latest update.
10. Kiwi Browser
A new entrant that uses Chromium just like Google Chrome, Kiwi may look surprisingly similar to Chrome, but it also has some unique UI tweaks that make it smarter than even Chrome when it comes to ease of use.
It also features a Contrast mode for AMOLED displays to save on battery life along with Crypto-Jacking protection to keep you safe from Crypto-thieves.
Kiwi also supports a good number of Chrome extensions like Stylus and uBlock and even scripts like TamperMonkey. One feature that I missed in Kiwi was syncing bookmarks and history between my mobile and desktop app.
If you don’t care about that, go for Kiwi! You’re in for a bag of surprises.
11. Lynket Browser
The Chrome Browser was renamed Lynket in 2018; it is famous for implementing Chrome Custom Tabs. It works on MVVM Architecture and uses Dagger 2 for dependency injection.
It also features Webheads that old users of the Brave Browser loved to bits and an Article mode that can remove unwanted ads and banners to give you an ebook like experience when reading articles online.
If you love Custom Tabs or like having bucket-loads of tabs open, Lynket is the one for you!
12. Naked Browser
13. Samsung Internet Browser
I usually discard OEM browsers without giving them even a second chance, but to be perfectly frank, Samsung’s default browser is not all that bad. It has gestures, a menu for quick options, great Material UI, even plug-ins that allow native ad-blocking.
It even features 360-degree video support which is missing in many other top-of-the-line browsers. Samsung still considers this browser a beta version, but it’s a lot more stable than other browsers on this list.
14. Surfy Browser
Usually, other browsers need an additional app or plug-in for this feature.
15. Tor Browser
If you’re paranoid about privacy, then get rid of your tin-foil hat because Tor is here to save the day. Short for “The Onion Network”, Tor can connect to the internet through 1000s of relays to conceal your identity.
While Tor was exclusive to Desktops and Laptops, Tor Browser uses a neat little app called Orbot to connect a mobile device to the Tor network.
In the list of best browsers for Android, Tor is the only browser if you want to be anonymous on the internet. The browser still has a long way to go since the sites you visit can block you because Tor lets them know that you’re using it.
Unless you’re doing something illegal, Tor is perfect for you if you’re serious about being tracked or if you are a power-user who knows the ins and outs of the Tor architecture.
Conclusion
Choosing the best browsers for Android, your use can be a critical decision, provided we have the needs of efficient browsing, ensuring data privacy, easy syncing of inter-system browsing, and avoiding the constant flurry of advertisements mid-work.
While goggle is the predominant browser in the market, many new alternatives like Microsoft Edge and DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser are catching up for various reasons.
It’s time you become smart enough to either upgrade or go for the second best browsers for Android phone.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section below!
