Chrome, being the default browser on Android phones, may not always meet your preferences or requirements. Whether you wish to avoid Google apps, prioritize stronger privacy safeguards, or simply have a secondary browser as a backup or for specific tasks, there are numerous alternative browsers available for download on Google Play.
However, when it comes to using a Android browser for business purposes, it is advisable to stick with trusted and well-known brands. Four such business-friendly alternative browsers are DuckDuckGo, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Opera. This guide aims to outline the distinctive features that set these browsers apart from Chrome, along with a few tips to help you maximize their potential. It’s important to note that unless stated otherwise, these browsers are free to use.
DuckDuckGo, known for its privacy-oriented search engine, extends its user privacy philosophy to its Android browser. The browser boasts a clean interface where new tabs are free from cluttered recommendations or news. To search the internet using DuckDuckGo, simply type your search words into the browser’s address bar.
DuckDuckGo’s browser actively blocks websites from tracking your online activities, resulting in a potentially faster browsing experience as trackers and most embedded ads are not loaded. The browser also claims to prevent websites from creating personalized profiles based on your browsing habits and device settings.
To swiftly close all open tabs and erase your browsing activity and information, you can utilize the Fire button. Simply tap the fire icon located to the right of the address bar. A panel will appear, allowing you to select “Clear All Tabs and Data.”
In the event that you want to save your sign-in information for a specific website even after using the Fire button, you can “fireproof” the site to preserve its cookies and keep yourself signed in. Open the website you wish to save, and tap the three-dot icon on the browser toolbar. In the panel that appears, select “Fireproof This Site.” Note that third-party trackers on the site will still be blocked.
To view a list of the websites you have fireproofed, access the same panel and tap on “Settings.” Then, scroll down and choose “Fireproof Sites.”
Sometimes, certain websites may require you to disable privacy protection for functionalities like signing in. If you trust a website to track you, you can temporarily disable privacy protection for that specific site. With the website open, tap the three-dot icon on the browser toolbar and select “Disable Privacy Protection” from the panel.
To view a list of sites with privacy protection disabled, tap the three-dot icon, followed by “Settings,” and then “Unprotected Sites.”
If you use Microsoft 365 and the Edge browser on your PC for work, installing Microsoft Edge on your Android phone can be convenient for keeping your work-related browser information, such as Collections or shared web links with your co-workers, in sync. You can simply sign in to Edge on your phone with your Microsoft 365 account to achieve this.
Similar to Chrome, Microsoft Edge comes with default privacy settings that tend to share your online activity with the browser’s developer and the websites you visit. However, Edge Android browser offers extensive privacy and security settings that you can manually adjust to align with your preferences.
By default, a new tab in Edge appears quite busy, displaying a search bar and icon links to suggested websites against a background image chosen by Microsoft’s servers for the day. Swiping up reveals a vertically scrolling feed of news and suggested articles.
Edge includes a reader mode feature that enhances article readability by removing unnecessary graphics and text from the web page layout. This mode may not always be available but is typically offered for long-form articles. You can identify the availability of reader mode when a two-page icon appears to the right of the address bar. Tapping that icon will reformat the text on the web page for easier reading.
One of Edge’s most impressive features is its ability to read aloud the text on a web page. To utilize this feature, open a web page and tap the three-bar icon on the right side of the browser toolbar. In the panel that opens, select “Read aloud.”
Note that Edge begins reading from the top of the page, which may include site names, menu items, and other extraneous content before reaching the main article. Therefore, it’s often preferable to enable reader mode (if available) as mentioned earlier and then tap the “Listen to this article” icon (a capital A with sound waves) for a better experience.
While the digital voice reads the page, a toolbar will appear at the top. Tapping the headshot icon on the right side of the toolbar opens the Voice options page. Here, you can adjust the voice’s reading speed, choose a different language for translation while reading (a wide range of languages are available), and even modify the voice’s gender and speaking style.
If you have a Windows 10 or 11 PC signed in to OneDrive using your Microsoft account, you can utilize Edge to upload documents, photos, or videos from your Android phone to your OneDrive cloud storage. To do this, tap the three-line icon on the browser toolbar, then swipe right on the panel that opens and select “Drop.” On the subsequent page, tap the “+” symbol in the lower left corner. A panel will appear, allowing you to choose either “Photo” or “Document,” which will open your phone’s photo album or file manager for selection. Alternatively, selecting “Camera” or “Video” will open your phone’s camera for capturing a new photo or video. Any item you create or select will be automatically uploaded to OneDrive.
On your Windows PC, you can find the uploaded items from your phone within the “Microsoft Edge Drop Files” folder in OneDrive.
Among the browsers mentioned in this roundup, Opera stands out with its relatively cluttered default new tab. It features a panel that displays an overwhelming amount of news and articles across various categories, including numerous ads and sponsored content. Fortunately, you can disable this panel by tapping the three-dot icon in the upper right corner and selecting “Customize.”
Similar to Edge and Firefox, Opera also offers a reader mode. When available for an article on a web page, you’ll see an icon with the letter “A” on a document page to the right of the address bar. Tapping this icon will reformat the main text, removing unnecessary elements and enhancing readability.
Opera’s My Flow feature allows you to share links, images, videos, and other files among your devices through encrypted storage. To utilize this feature, ensure you have the desktop version of Opera installed on your PC and that you are signed in to your Opera account on both your phone and PC.
On the Android browser toolbar, tap the headshot icon, then scroll up the panel and select “Flow.” Follow the instructions on the subsequent page to establish a wireless connection between your phone and PC.
Once your phone is connected to My Flow, you can access the Flow interface by tapping the headshot icon and then selecting “Flow” at any time. The interface resembles a chat window. To upload a file, tap the “+” icon in the lower left corner, which will open your phone’s file browser. Choose a file, and it will be inserted into the Flow interface.
On your PC, click the right-pointing arrow along the left sidebar to open the My Flow panel. The file you inserted from your Android phone will be displayed in the Flow interface.
Opera’s most compelling feature is its built-in VPN (Virtual Private Network). To enable it, tap the headshot icon on the browser toolbar, then select “VPN” in the panel that appears. Next, tap “Settings” in the lower right corner. On the subsequent page, you can choose the region (America, Asia, Europe) from which you want website servers to perceive your browsing origin.
If you have a pro account with Opera, you can select from a wide range of specific countries as your point of origin and encrypt traffic for every app on up to six devices, not just the Opera browser.
Firefox, a well-known alternative browser for PCs, is also available for mobile devices. Developed and maintained by a global community of open-source developers overseen by the Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary, Mozilla Corp, Firefox prioritizes users’ online rights and privacy.
Similar to Edge, Firefox’s default new tab page features a search engine box, links to suggested websites, and a panel displaying news and articles. The browser allows you to sync data across devices, save content to collections for later use, and add websites to your home screen, among other options.
Just like its desktop version, you can enhance the functionality of the Firefox Android browser by installing add-ons. Tap the three-dot icon on the browser toolbar and select “Add-ons” from the menu panel that appears. On the following page, you can browse through a list of recommended add-ons provided by Firefox developers and install them with a tap.
Firefox includes a reader mode, similar to Edge’s functionality. When available for an article, you’ll see a page icon to the right of the URL address bar. Tapping this icon removes non-essential elements from the page, focusing solely on the main text.
For users seeking enhanced privacy controls, Firefox offers a “lite” version called Firefox Focus. By default, this version has stronger privacy settings and automatically blocks ads and trackers. Similar to DuckDuckGo’s Fire button, you can tap the trashcan icon to the left of the address bar in Firefox Focus to instantly delete browsing history, passwords, and cookies.
Firefox Focus features a minimal interface without elements such as newsfeed clutter on a blank browser window. However, it lacks a reader mode. In fact, Firefox Focus is designed to allow only one web page to be open at a time, as it doesn’t support tabs. While this limitation may seem restrictive, it helps you focus on one page at a time and ensures top performance since the browser only needs to handle one tab in its memory.