What is the best web browser for android in 2021?
If you've followed me on YouTube or elsewhere, you have probably heard me talk about my experience as a beta tester.
I've alpha, beta and meta tested some of the most important websites and apps for computers, android and iPhone that exists, long before anyone knew about them.
This brings me to finally disclosing which web browser for android that is the best option for most people.
I spent many years beta testing Google's Chrome browsers including Canary and pre-beta version.
I beta tested Microsoft's new edge browser based on chrome from inception.
I beta tested Vivaldi web browser from inception.
I've beta tested others too, and i used the public releases for years, through multiple updates.
In 2021 there are some great options available too, depending on your needs, like Brave a browser focused on privacy, and DuckDuckGo a browser focused on private search built around their search engine.
Vivaldi is my favorite web browser on my computers, but its android app has unfortunately taken a step backwords with its forced Speed Dial navigational start up page, and inability to set a specific website as a start up page. Some people make like it, since you can create icon image based bookmarks, and its most recent version provides ad blocking, but for me, its a deal breaker.
I want to set my own homepage, new tab, and start page to my favorite search engine, which in 2021 is DuckDuckGo. I ditched Google's search engine in 2020 after three years of Google pushing its political and social agenda preferences to its search engine results, Google news, YouTube, etc.
I've decided to ditch any company that takes initiative in utilizing its ability to manipulate US Culture due to its position as an information provider, research source, or its financial power. Google, Microsoft, CNN, Washington Post, Twitter, Facebook, even Target stores have lost my coincidence and business in addition to others.
This is especially true when it comes to searching the internet and the services i use. When we search the internet we need a web browser, and we love them because they appear to be free.
But Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and others the largest information providers and entities that have a historical profile on all their users, said to be more valuable, powerful, and complete than any government in the world. They sell this information to advertisers and governments who want to target you. That's why when using Facebook for example, if your moral, ethical, cultural, racial, gender, political or habits fit into a particular political agenda, you'll see announcements, causes, events and social agendas, etc. In your news feed from the particular politucal party you're most aligned with; even if you've never mentioned your association before. They gather that data from the apps you use, websites you visit, stores you shop at. Then they sell it. This is how 99% of web browers and search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, make money. Lots of money.
So your choice in a web browser, especially on an app based smart device should be an important decision
I like that the Vivaldi browser lets you turn off their featured alternative advertisements in their ad blocking tools. That's an advantage. But personally, i want control in deciding which ad blocking tools i want to use.
My preference is AdGuard and Privacy Badger extensions. Mozilla Firefox and Kiwi browsers allow me to add extensions.
Google Chrome gives you a few privacy blocking features, but directs all the data to themself.
Microsoft's new edge browser, is locked into thier Bing search engine and other aspects that feed your data directly to themself, including a coupon feature to compete against Honey pricing app to of course generate commissions to themself. But at least you can sign up for their search rewards program, in which they give you points towards free gift cards for selling your soul to them.
Mozilla Firefox android browser is a great browser and is funded as a non-profit organization. Its a good alternative to those already mentioned and is less navigational restricted than Vivaldi. It also is one of the few web browsers that let you install extensions like AdGuard and Privacy Badger or whatever you use. But it's often a slower browser, speed wise.
Firefox is my second Android Browser pick.
But there is a browser i stumbled upon a few years ago that has a great privacy policy, its consistently been the fastest browser I've used or tested. It has no speed dial being forced on you, at least at the time of this review. It was the first browser that allowed full unrestricted access to Google Chrome Extensions store, and you can set the home page to a specific page of your choice.
KIWI browser is my top pick in 2021.
It's only disadvantage to me personally, is that there is no version of it for my computers, which means, at least for now, there is no option that's allows it to synch passwords and bookmarks to my computers. But considering its speed, privacy policy, no advertising, full extensions, no speed dial or combined tabs, that's only a minor inconvenience.
Kiwi Browser is available in Google Play Store and I bet you never heard of.
I am recommending it after four years of running it along side the various other browsers I've been testing and researching.
It's the only five star review i have ever given to an android browser, or bothered to write a recommendation about.
Try it out, while no web browser is perfect, Kiwi has a lot going for it that the other browsers have abandoned to follow Google's Chromium standard.