Many websites are moving away from offering an app on smartphones to offering a truly mobile experience and as that trend continues, the web browser becomes more and more important. Unlike our ‘friends’ running iOS on their iPhones and iPads, we have true choice when it comes to which web browser we use, we can make it our default app, and the browser engines vary quite a bit. Whether or not you’re looking for something to help keep track of your favorite sites, make browsing as simple as possible, or line up with your favorite browser on the Desktop, our list of Top 10 Browser Apps for Android should do the trick.
Dolphin Browser
Dolphin is an old favorite, and a great place to start if you want something different. It’s stable, very speedy and has some advanced features that other browsers simply cannot match. A great way of making the most of the hardware on an older phone or tablet, Dolphin is relatively lightweight and with extensions like Jetpack and more available, Dolphin is a great browser to use for whatever you want it for.
Yandex.Browser
Yandex.Browser is perhaps one for our International readers, but it’s available to use wherever you are, including the US. It’s designed to be a sort of opposite to Chrome I suppose, and thanks to little touches like suggestions within the app and a turbo mode, it feels pretty quick and you can easily access your favorite sites from a landing page when you open the app. Yandex.Browser is also one of the few that comes with its own video player so you can stick in the browser for longer. A nice alternative to Chrome and co, this is a decent, solid offering.
Maxthon Web Browser
A somewhat typical Chinese web browser, Maxthon focuses on offering as many features as it can, and if you’re looking for a browser with more to offer, then this is it. There’s a quick way of changing your user agent, a private toggle, the ability to turn things into a night mode for reading in bed and more. There’s literally pretty much everything you can think of in here and there’s a lot to like about Maxthon. It can be a bit too much, but if more really is more in your book, then this is worth taking a look at.
Firefox
Firefox is one of my personal favorites. It’s what I use on my Nexus 9 as it gives it a smoother feel. Firefox is much the same as it is on the Desktop on Android, and while it’s not the quickest browser out there, it’s solid, smooth (the scroll alone is worth it for me) and it’s very stable in my experience. Firefox users on their PC or Laptop will be able to sync their tabs across devices and it’ll be very familiar to a lot of users. A quality experience on mobile or your tablet, this is one to look at.
InBrowser – Incognito Browsing
InBrowser is basically what you think it is; incognito mode on steroids. This is an app built from the ground up to remember nothing about you, where you went, what you looked at or where you are. This is the incognito browser for incognito people. It’s packed full of useful features, and it’s great for handing your phone or tablet to someone else. Great for banking on someone else’s device and that sort of thing, too. Oh, and there’s a built-in video support for erm, Taylor Swift videos?
Chrome Browser – Google
There’s no way we could have had a list without Google Chrome, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. In many ways, the Chrome browser becomes more and more bloated, but if it’s your favorite on the Desktop (as it is mine) and you’re a sucker for tab sync then this works the best. Besides, if you want a browser that’s guaranteed to work with pretty much any website out there, this will get the job done, too. Great for Chromecast fun as well as messing around with the Beta version if you’re a little adventurous, this is well worth taking a look at if it wasn’t already shoehorned into your device.
Next Browser for Android
From the folks behind GO Launcher and everything else that goes with it comes Next Browser. A web browser that blurs the line between style and substance. With a fun feature like the news reader included, there’s a lot to like about Next Browser and it goes without saying if you’re a fan of GO Launcher and other apps from the GO Dev Team then this is going to work well with your other apps and might be worth taking a look at.
CM Browser – Fast & Secure
If browsers full of every feature under the sun don’t float your boat, then CM Browser is for you. It’s super lightweight, designed to be as speedy as possible and it’s also designed to be secure as well. For those not interested in flashy features, but more a dependable browser that just gets the job done, this is a good option. It doesn’t hurt that the install size is less than 2MB, making this a great alternative for lower-end hardware and those keen to keep their app usage to a minimum.
Opera browser
While Opera may have become just as bloated and heavy as most other browsers these days, there’s still a core following for the browser, and it’s pretty decent on Android as well. It’s by no means the best out there, but it’s a decent option and one that will definitely give you a change of pace from the likes of Chrome and Firefox. It doesn’t bring back golden memories of Opera being the cool browser for me any more, but it’s worth trying out at least.
UC Browser
UC Browser is the browser for those looking to turn their smartphone or tablet into their Desktop. It’s great for downloading files and watching videos online. It’s essentially the best way to get more Desktop-like features while on the move. It’s highly regarded by a lot of users and it’s free to download and won’t take long to get used to. It doesn’t hurt that it’s good-looking and speedy, either.