Best Free Open Source Privacy Browser App For Android OS Ver 14.0 (Upside Down Cake)
A free open-source privacy browser app for the Android operating system is a browser application that is both free to use and open-source, meaning that its source code is publicly available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute.
These browsers prioritize user privacy by implementing features such as ad-blocking, tracker-blocking, and encryption. They aim to provide a secure and private browsing experience while giving users more control over their online data.
Android OS version 14.0, internally codenamed “Upside Down Cake,” was announced on February 8, 2023. It followed the release of Android 13 (Tiramisu) and had a development cycle of approximately 1 year, 1 month, 2 weeks, and 5 days.
The development of Android 14 included a developer preview that was released immediately after the announcement, allowing developers to test their existing apps on various screen sizes, network technologies, CPU/GPU chipsets, and hardware architectures.
The development cycle included multiple beta versions and reached platform stability with the release of the third beta version on June 7, 2023. The codename “Upside Down Cake” was chosen by Google for Android 14, following the tradition of using dessert names for Android versions. The codename was discovered in an AOSP Gerrit commit in July of the previous year.
1) Bromite Browser App
Bromite is a privacy-focused browser app for Android based on the Chromium open-source project. It aims to provide a secure and private browsing experience by blocking ads, trackers, and other privacy-invasive features. Bromite focuses on enhancing user privacy without sacrificing performance or functionality.
It includes features such as DNS-over-HTTPS support, improved security settings, and optimizations for battery life. Additionally, Bromite provides regular updates to incorporate the latest security patches and features from the Chromium project. Overall, Bromite is a popular choice for those seeking a privacy-centric browsing experience on their Android devices.
Link Download:
https://github.com/bromite/bromite
2) Mull Browser App
Mull Browser is a privacy-focused browser app for Android that is based on the Firefox (or more specifically, GeckoView) browser. It is an open-source project primarily developed by DivestOS, known for their privacy-conscious applications and the unofficial fork of LineageOS with the same name. Mull Browser prioritizes user privacy by incorporating various privacy-hardening features.
It enables many features from the Tor uplift project and uses preferences from the arkenfox user.js project to enhance privacy. Additionally, Mull Browser eliminates many proprietary blobs from its source code, making it more transparent and privacy-oriented. Users are also recommended to install the uBlock Origin extension for enhanced privacy protection.
Link download:
https://github.com/Divested-Mobile/Mull-Fenix
3) Cromite Browser App
Cromite is a browser app that is a fork of Bromite, which is itself a privacy-focused browser based on Chromium. Cromite aims to prioritize user privacy by limiting features that can be used for tracking users’ habits and providing options to disable or enable them.
It also aims to limit the close integration between the browser and its manufacturer. Cromite includes built-in support for ad-blocking, allowing users to browse without interruptions. It also respects user privacy by blocking tracking and third-party cookies by default, while offering the option to activate or deactivate necessary tracking features. Cromite always operates in incognito mode, not saving browsing history or previous sessions.
Link Download:
4) Iceraven Browser App
Iceraven Browser is a web browser for Android that is based on Mozilla’s Fenix version of Firefox, GeckoView, and Mozilla Android Components. It is a fork of the Firefox browser and aims to provide additional features and customization options. Some key features and characteristics of Iceraven Browser include:
- It offers a minimalist and attractive interface with an emphasis on optimization of system resources.
- Iceraven Browser supports window and tab browsing, incognito mode, and the installation of plugins and add-ons to enhance the browsing experience.
- It provides features like about:config and an expanded list of extensions, making it popular among users who seek more control and customization options.
Link download:
https://github.com/fork-maintainers/iceraven-browser
