Google Chrome is the mobile browser of choice for 56.74% of users worldwide, according to the most recent statista survey. But, it is not necessarily the best. Samsung Android phones, which account for 23% of the global market, have a competent browser pre-installed. The iPhone (iOS) has a fast application integrated with Apple services. The alternatives donāt stop there: there are still at least four other apps that may be worth downloading free on Google Play or the App Store. See below the best programs for surfing the web on your smartphone.
Chrome on mobile: six features that few people know about
See seven browser options for Android and iPhone ā Photo: Helito Beggiora / dnetc
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The worldās most widely used browser, Chrome has a strong integration with the equally popular desktop version. It synchronizes history, favorites, passwords and even card data between the PC and the cell phone. In addition, the app has useful functions such as website compressor to save 4G data, page translator, voice search and dangerous website alert system.
On the other hand, Chrome is not ideal for those who value privacy: not even anonymous mode prevents their browsing from being tracked by the internet giant.
Google Chrome has a data compressor and synchronizes passwords between mobile phone and PC ā Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves
Safari is the ideal option for those who only use Apple. The synchronization of information, for example, is practically immediate: just open a website on the iPhone to see the browser icon jump on the Mac and allow access to the same page with one click. The integration with iOS also guarantees compatibility with functions such as previewing links using 3D Touch. The app also has privacy features, such as cookie blocking and a system that prevents tracked data traffic between one website and another.
One of its strengths, however, is also its weakness: with a focus on Apple users, the app cannot be useful for anyone with a Windows computer. In such cases, multiplatform alternatives like Chrome or others that you will see below may be more convenient.
Safari previews links with 3D Touch and is ideal for those with Mac ā Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves
The main advantage of Microsoft Edge is working with the native Windows 10 browser. Users can not only synchronize history and passwords between mobile and PC, but also send a link from one device to another with a touch: the app has a prominent button on the home screen that immediately sends a website open on the smartphone to the computer, even if the desktop program is currently closed.
It is also compatible with ad blockers and has a reading panel similar to Safari. However, support for a greater number of extensions is missing.
Edge sends pages from the phone to the Windows 10 PC ā Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves
Samsung Internet comes installed on the manufacturerās phones and can be downloaded on any Android. Among the most useful functions are support for extensions, which allows you to install plugins like AdBlock to remove online advertising, and Secret Mode, which creates a hidden layer of password-protected navigation. In the latest version, the app also has a Night Mode that makes the look black and helps save battery.
On the other hand, the browser suffers from a problem similar to Safari: as it only has a mobile version, it is not possible to synchronize history and other data with the computer.
Samsung Internet has a dark theme and Secret Mode with password ā Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves
Firefox Focus is a browser for Android and iOS that uses the same page rendering engine as Firefox, but specializes in protecting privacy. By default, the browser does not load ads, trackers and other elements that compromise user data on the websites visited. As a result, it opens up faster, saving navigation time. The app also has a floating button that allows you to remove the entire history with one touch.
In contrast, the improvements developed by Mozilla engineers tend to arrive first at the regular version of the browser, leaving Focus behind in the adoption of newer technologies.
Firefox Focus focuses on privacy, erases history with a touch ā Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves
6. DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser
Another browser aimed at protecting privacy, the DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser has the added feature of having the DuckDuckGo search engine pre-configured to search the Internet. The service promises not to store data circulating on its servers, let alone use that information for profit purposes.
This feature can bring disadvantages, since the application is forced to interfere in the way the pages behave. On sites with embedded videos, for example, the browser usually rotates the content in a new tab to get rid of the trackers embedded in the player, which ends up hampering usability on a daily basis.
DuckDuckGo comes with search engine that protects probability ā Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves
Available only for Android, Opera is a browser with extras like ad blocker, data saver, night mode and even integrated VPN, as well as the desktop version. The app also has a cryptocurrency wallet, ideal for those who need to make quick currency transactions without having to access the PC.
In addition to not having an iPhone version, Opera has the disadvantage of a synchronization system that is not as efficient: even your account logged on to your phone and desktop, data like history is not updated in all your devices as quickly as Chrome or Safari. It is worth remembering that there is also the lighter version Opera Mini, focusing on cell phones with slow and limited internet.
Opera for mobile brings ad blocker and built-in VPN ā Photo: Reproduction / Paulo Alves
How to update Google Chrome on your phone
