Why can't I find a browser.... That just acts like a browser???
As the title states, either these browsers are nothing but full of trackers and ads or they are so locked down that they are basically not functional. Why can't I find a browser that is just a freaking browser but with no BS???
62 replies
Enshittification.
Librewolf seems like a go-to choice for many people like you. Assuming you are on mobile, you can try Waterfox (but it might become bloated like FF in a few months, I dunno) or kind of an ungoogled chromium. I tried AOSmium which is another one ungoogled chromium, it is too minimal for me but might be good for you. They also claim to have some Vanadium's privacy patches (you might try building Vanadium from source btw).
I recently downloaded Ironfox to try it along with Fennec for mobile. So far no issues.
Fennec is pretty pointless. It is deblobbed but still uses Mozilla telemetry.
Even if that's the case, these browsers that use Mozilla (Firefox) seem to be the only one (from what I'm learning) where I dont have to disable so many features just to get it to work 🤷
Firefox or one of it's many many forks is the way to go. Personally I use IronFox as a browser that's locked down by default, with some heavy uBlock Origin as blocking (it's a less featured uMatrix), and an "on device VPN" app for DNS filtering for device wide ad blocking.
Fennec gives you Firefox with the telemetry stuff removed, and can use the same extensions as desktop Firefox.
Firefox is still an option, but if you aren't fond of Mozilla, you also have Fennec (the F-Droid build that removes telemetry bits by default) and IronFox (a more secure spin of Firefox)
You can decide whether to use Firefox Sync or not depending on how much you trust Mozilla, and extensions are supported on the Android version too! (in particular, I like uBlock Origin and Dark Background Light Text)
As for the desktop side (in case you need that as well), you have plenty of Firefox-based options as well, like LibreWolf (requires some configuration to disable some of the anti-finger printing stuff though), Zen Browser, and Floorp. Even plain Firefox is better than any Chromium-based options. You might also want to look out of Ladybird, which will use an independent engine (not Blink or Gecko!)
Librewolf is pretty nice, that's one of the engines I use for desktop.
It's what I use too! Zen Browser is pretty neat too if you like vertical tabs
I've had no complaints about Firefox for Android. It even supports privacy addons like NoScript and UBlock Origin.
Don't search using the Play Store. This is a rule that applies generally to everything: start your search online, find the right app for you and then go to the Play Store (or the Aurora Store, or F-Droid, or elsewhere) to download it. The Play Store is filled with terrible, data harvesting apps and you can easily get overwhelmed by the endless choice and misleading reviews and descriptions if you try to search within it.
All apks uploaded to the PlayStore have Google trackers by default. Choose alternative stores whenever possible.
Since working on towards being fully degoogled, the Play Store is off limits. Exploring the different app stores ( Aurora Store, F-Droid, Droid-ify, SaveHaven, Zapstore, Appteka, etc.) Never knew so many different stores existed until finally starting exploring them.
Aurora Store has been helpful, especially in showing you what apps have trackers in them or not. Learning over time whatapls suit me.
The Aurora Store does have the same issue, in the sense that it has the same apps and reviews, but you're right that it is much cleaner and more functional. The εxodus reports being built into the store is also one of my favourite features.
https://github.com/ironfox-oss/IronFox
This has been my browser of choice since the death of Mull
I'm using it in parallel with Fennec. Ironfox a lot of times takes ages to load a page, I know its likely because it is stricter what to strip away or block or whatever it does during that, but sometimes I cannot be bothered to wait 5-10 seconds until I see the page, so I use Fennec.
I might try that to, I recently went back to Fennec and I agree, sometimes I just wanna search up something quick and not really deal with the loop holes
For anything that loads slower for me, I just use Vanadium. But as someone that has issue with Chromium browsers; it's a last resort. Though, I might check out Fennec as a secondary.
i use waterfox, it's been perfect.
Dude! Right?! It works so well while remaining pretty trustworthy. I added Privacy badger and port authority at the recommendation of EFF and Firefox extension store ratings, just to have it that much more secure. I especially love blocking Lexis Nexis port scanning!
I tried Waterfox a few months back and had loads of issues with it, it just didn't seem ready. I must try it again. using Fennec at the minute.
On a separate note, does anyone know if there's a reason that you can't view pages preloaded when offline anymore?
I had damaged my SIM before going to the shop the other day, loaded up a website with a recipe and ingredients on the page before I left using home WiFi.
When I got to the store, I couldn't view the page, it wanted to load again..
i use vivaldi. fine for mobile (just a browser) and really cool fpr desktop since you can customize the ui in any way you want.
I assumed that Firefox/Fennec was gonna be the main choice. That seemed to be the only browser that's functional.
And you haven't tried it yet because...?
I'm trying Fennec (mobile) and I do use Firefox for desktop but I wanted to hear if they're were other options besides Firefox and its extensions, for mobile.
Firefox
I like Cromite for that, but I have to keep going back to chrome for certain things because websites have verification nonsense or something
Yeah the whole, constantly proving your not a robot, enable cookies and/or JavaScript, etc. It gets to much, like I get it about privacy, but come on.
The BS (trackers etc.) are on the web sites and you get them automatically unless your browser either actively filters them out, or implements an incomplete enough part of present-day web protocols that they don't receive the trackers (e.g. by not supporting Javascript).
Unfortunately, filtering trackers is a never-ending arms race, while using a browser for the "historical web" makes a lot of present-day sites inaccessible.
I.e. the problem is the web itself, not the browser, for the most part.
I use Firefox but have fairly aggressive umatrix origin (ad blocker) settings, if that helps.
https://www.privacyguides.org/en/mobile-browsers/
Brave and Safari?? Since when was Safari a recommended browser? Safari's default search engine is Google (even though they're not apart of Chromium, they still use Google).
It seems that the default search engine is an iPhone setting, not a Safari setting: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/change-your-default-search-engine-iphb719b43de/26/ios/26 It seems that DuckDuckGo has been an available search engine since at least Jun 9, 2026 (and that is a search engine that is recommended): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89aAHJR6v7k Configuring your operating system is a recommended procedure (though I don't presently see a recommendation to select which search engine should be used, I do see a recommendation to "Disable Search Engine Suggestions"): https://www.privacyguides.org/en/os/ios-overview/?h=iphone#recommended-configuration
It seems that Safari has been a recommended browser since Mar 14, 2022: https://github.com/privacyguides/privacyguides.org/commit/f481afcf95a77e8edc5960feba6142131c6f6691#diff-123ea0f1e27280676b64597ed4de1269ace15e9fac21b08833f3fb1b4973f05c
I noticed that there was an interesting change to this page somewhat recently: https://github.com/privacyguides/privacyguides.org/commit/899f32d17ac1502910412b99d6ffb5f3775b1db6
Seems it didn't keep up with their requirements. You can see links to several discussions in the PR.
This may be a bit extreme but, try the Emacs Web Browser, no bloat in there.
Ironfox or Omni browser.
try helium
ah missed this was android - I use Firefox mobile with ublock origin and it works well.
Duckduckgo?
Never for mobile, but I used to use them for desktop as my search engine while my current browser is Firefox. Unfortunately theyve gotten so bad lately.
Huh. I sort of like the mobile browser. Simple and does its job.
It feels so slow and laggy to me, especially since when they started getting heavily advertised as the browser for people switching from Google. It used to run way better before they had that massive influx.
@Ripley_Tripley try waterfox with your own user.js, works fine.
Dillo
Mullvad browser is great
After hearing on the recent controversy from Mullvad, I'm not gonna go that route in using them. Same with anything Proton, don't want the drama.
There isn't really any controversy with the company or the products. one of the co-founders fail people's political purity testing, but the products are solid.
Until you remember their co-founder funds fascism:
https://www.flyingpenguin.com/mullvad-vpn-circles-the-drain-on-nazism-with-anti-privacy-pr/
That's a fun hot take, regardless the open source browser they sponser is amazing and it's exactly what I want out of the box.
It's not a hot take. It's a fact that has been acknowledged via public statements from the individual in question and the company.
it's an extremely hot take to call them a nazi because you disagree on one person's political viewpoints on immigration, and try to purity test a great open source project because of it.
That's a very mild way of saying that the political party he donates to supports ethnic cleansing. These are direct quotes from its leader:
now you have moved the goalposts from mullvad, to one of its founders using personal money, now to a political party that isn't involved in mullvad.
does any of this impact the open source project? no.
Are you lost? Go back and reach the comment chain, I haven't "mOvEd tHe gOaLpOsTs" at all. The original reply to your first comment (from another person) was:
We were always talking about the co-founder in this comment chain, all of my replies to you have been about him.
Do you fully boycott Coca-Cola, Amazon, Meta, Johnson & Johnson, Dupont, Monsanto, Sysco, Chic-Fil-A, and Nestle too? They all donate considerably more money to authoritarian regimes.
aRe yOu a vEgEtAriAn/vEgAn????