More individuals are heading online than before as they can find more exciting and better content than it used to be, whether entertainment, education, sports, etc. There’s certainly no limit to the amount of information available on the internet presently, information that can be accessed from anywhere. So, it is equally essential to be updated about online security & privacy while browsing.
With the ever-increasing number of users on the internet, it has also become more vulnerable to individuals, which means you’re now more likely to be a victim of a data breach than before. This concern takes it to your security as browsers are one of the most frequently used apps on mobile devices. It contains a significant amount of our private information that can be readily exploited such as our browsing history, login credentials, cookies, and trackers.
So we must leap forward and select one of the best secure & private browsers to surf the internet without risking our personal data. And for this, we’ve come up with the best browsers for Android, which are best for those who are concerned about their privacy. So, let’s not waste another moment and get right into the list!
Best Private Browsers for Android (2022)
1. DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser
DuckDuckGo has been an emerging name in the field of privacy for a long time now, and it has become trusted by many users surfing privately. This browser is very straightforward and takes control of your privacy firmly. It blocks all the third-party trackers trying to trace your internet behavior so that the ad networks do not utilize this information.
You are equipped with the standalone DuckDuckGo search engine, which provides tracking for free private searches. It also utilizes HTTPS encryption whenever possible to minimize any potential risk. It displays the website privacy grade ranging from A-F as you browse along to show how safe the browsing is currently.
Other than privacy features, it is also loaded with standard features such as tabs, bookmarks, and autocomplete. You can also change its appearance on the go as it features theming options. There’s a Fire button beside the tabs button which instantly clears all your tabs and data with just a single tap so that you do not have to waste your time on that.
2. Ghostery Privacy Browser
Ghostery is in to provide you with a completely new browsing experience that is private, fast, and ad-free. It features a built-in ad blocker and one of the largest databases of the trackers out there to make sure your activity is not tracked while surfing the internet. It boasts a vast number of features to ensure data security.
Some of its key features are tracker analysis which provides accurate information about websites that tracks your footprints, and you can block or unblock these trackers. The ad-blocking part doesn’t only stop ads from displaying, but it also saves your data and increases site load times. If you want to surf without storing browsing history, it also has the incognito mode.
Its Smart Blocking feature does pretty well, ensuring your data safety and privacy. Still, if you expect additional protection, there’s an AI-powered Enhanced Anti-Tracking mode that anonymizes personal data points. If you’re newly transitioning to this browser, it also has a start tab with handpicked news articles and websites to make sure you’re not going to miss your old browser.
3. Tor Browser
The Tor Browser is a part of the Tor Project, a non-profit organization behind the infamous Tor Desktop Browser. This organization promises to be the developer of the most robust privacy tool on this planet.
Tor Browser isolates you from websites you visit, keeping trackers away. It features some unique features, such as automatic cookie cleaning at the end of browsing.
The browser has incorporated an algorithm by which it becomes difficult for any intruder to fetch your data as all it can know is that you’re using Tor. This feature makes sure every Tor user looks exactly the same to the one tracking your behavior, making it difficult to trace you. This is the fundamental concept behind the entire Tor project.
It also equips a multi-layered encryption network better known as Tor relays which are self-propelled servers that bounce your requests internally. With this feature in action, you are free to access some of those sites banned by your local Internet Service Providers.
4. Firefox Focus
Firefox Focus is a Mozilla-developed browser for Android tweaked specifically for private browsing sessions. This browser automatically blocks many known trackers vulnerable to your browsing data.
It is much simpler with a clean UI allowing you to focus on what you want, and you don’t have to set things up. All the configurations are made automatically, but you can always adjust them according to your needs from the Settings.
This browser also ships an auto ad-blocker that will stop loading and displaying ads, eventually enhancing your browsing experience by increasing speeds and page load times. You get several search engine options to choose from, such as Amazon, DuckDuckGo, Google, and Qwant, and it is easy to add your custom search engine on the go.
Its Automatic Privacy features include easy to erase all your browsing history, cookies, and all related data with just one tap. It also provides flexibility if you need to add any of your trusted websites to the Allow list so that tracking protection would be disabled for them.
5. Frost Private Browser
Frost browser takes your internet privacy and app privacy to a whole new level by providing a hidden password-protected image and bookmark vault. With extensive privacy features such as popup blocker, inbuilt ad blocker, auto browsing history clean-up at app closing, and many more, Frost browser is easily one of the best private browsers for Android.
It provides you with a secret vault to store images and bookmarks, which is password-protected, and for more, you can export and import images from this vault to your Gallery. The content you store in this vault is isolated from other apps like Gallery or Camera. To access this secret vault, you must enter your password in the address bar.
Thus this app can be considered a good amalgamation of a secure & private browser and a secret image vault.
6. Lightning Browser
Coming next is Lightning Browser, a blazing fast browser designed to leverage browsing efficiency. It is simple, fast, and uses an eye-pleasing material design. It has an out-of-the-box side drawer that manages bookmarks, tabs, etc., and is only a swipe away. Its core feature also includes ad-blocking, which enhances the browsing experience.
The interface can be modified heavily with dark mode, light mode, color mode, and night mode according to your preference. You can decide your primary search engine and customize settings to ensure complete protection.
You can configure this browser using the Orbot app and turn on the TOR proxy to hide your identity and location, providing additional privacy. It also packs unique features such as full-screen mode, inverted rendering, Toggle User Agents, Reading mode, etc.
7. Dolphin Zero Browser
If you like super lightweight apps and bundle size is also a priority for you, then you will like this browser as it is only 500kb in size. It brings peace of mind to you, keeping all your personal information safe and automatically deleting old browsing data.
A plus point of this app is flash support is provided, which will open up room for online gaming on your Android browser while avoiding all those disturbing pop-ups and irritating ads. Its inbuilt adblocker prevents all types of advertisements from loading.
What makes this browser one of the most secure Android browsers is that it comes with all the standard features such as multiple search engines, data sync across browsers, incognito browsing, bookmarks, etc. There are also some out-of-the-box features like speed dial, custom gestures for different websites, voice search, and themes to modify UI.
8. InBrowser – Incognito Browsing
InBrowser is a private browser supporting TOR Proxy via Orbot to surf the internet anonymously, hiding your identity and location. All your browsing data is stored while you are using the app; the moment you exit it, all the data will be deleted permanently.
And with the added integration of The Onion Router (TOR), you can access all the websites blocked by your local ISP.
The app ensures itself to be clean of any ad tracker, and this indeed is a good move from the developers to support their concept. The privacy browser supports multiple search engines and in-app video support. Long pressing a link will start downloading the file to simplify downloading and store all of it in a separate InBrowser folder. It also supports flash content if your device does so.
9. Brave Private Browser
The Brave browser provides an indulging interface, interesting statistics, and an ad-free browsing experience. For security, it prohibits any tracker or pop-up ad and safeguards your device from any malicious file entering your system while you are browsing. The browser does the deed for you to enjoy lightning-fast and secure browsing and also provides private browsing.
Its automatic privacy features include HTTPS Everywhere, script blocking, third-party cookie blocking, and incognito tabs. You get a beautiful, clean, and data-driven start tab with configurable speed dials.
Recently it has rolled out its new feature called Brave Rewards. With this feature, you can earn just by seeing privacy-respecting ads, and support your favorite sites and content creators.
Conclusion: Start Secure & Private Browsing
With increasing rates of online fraud and data breaches, it is essential for us to take preventive measures to save our crucial data from falling into someone else’s hands. Above mentioned browsers have their own sets of tools and features but are intended to prevent you from revealing your data to public and improper ad networks. You can choose the one which best fits your needs.
While this list may feature some of the best secure and private browsers for Android, I’d also like to hear what your recommendations are. Are you currently using a private Android browser that wasn’t mentioned on this list? If so, please mention them in the comments section below.
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