Note: All 10 best browsers for Android were tried on a Samsung Galaxy S3 phone using a custom ROM on Android 4.4 Kit Kat. The browsers performed perfectly and provided quality service. There were no problems or crashes faced during the testing phase. All of the browsers are available completely free without in-app purchases. Also, browsing the internet opens you up to viruses, so download the best Android virus app to protect your device.
1. CM Browser – Free
A fast browser is a good thing but a fast and secure browser is best. CM Browser is perhaps the most secure Android browser available on the Google Play Store. I tested its security myself by trying to access a malicious Russian site, and nothing happened to my phone. The browser also has one of the most pleasant user interfaces I have seen in a long while. Although I used Firefox on PC and Chrome on my tablet, CM Browser is going to be my number one choice for smartphones. Features:
A seamless and simple interface. A built-in page translator. Security features are top-notch.
Notable Feature: This best Android browser features text search. It may not be such a big feature but it is really hard to find an Android browser which comes with this little yet extremely helpful feature.
2. Dolphin Browser for Android – Free
Dolphin Browser for Android is one of the first browsers to be launched on the Play Store and it introduced some pretty advanced features. Back then there was no Chrome, so Dolphin really made an impact. Today the browser still holds a great position over other browsers by constantly updating and evolving itself. This is the very first browser which introduced gesture-based navigation. It also allows you to share things on social media with just one tap of a button. This app also comes with add-ons which further enhance your internet browsing experience. There are currently more than 60 add-ons available for the browser. Features:
The gesture functions are intuitive and easy to use. The app can listen to your voice and do basic things. There are multiple themes available for the app.
Notable Feature: This great browser for Android allows you to broadcast links on a WiFi network. This means you can easily share what you are looking at with friends who are on the same WiFi network.
3. UC Browser for Android – Free
This is the browser you should get if you hate that Facebook messenger app. I got really mad when Facebook forced two apps on me so I decided to get a dedicated Android browser for all my social media shenanigans. UC Browser comes with an add-on for faster FB browsing. What it actually does is refresh the page multiple times so you get the latest notifications right as they happen. The app also has smart browsing which fetches the best version of a web page according to your network. This results in faster page load times and data saving. Features:
A sleek-looking interface with easy access to everything. Tabbed based browsing. Incognito mode for sneaky browsing.
Notable Feature: Many of the best Android browsers come with theme support but UC Browser for Android allows you to use your own photos as a theme. This adds a much-needed layer of personalization to the app.
4. Maxthon Browser – Free
Maxthon Browser brings some much-needed competition to the almost stagnant browser market place. This browser is also available on PC and in-car making it an easy choice for those who want to share data between multiple devices. The app allows you to sync tabs on devices, so even if you leave a store open on your smartphone, you will be able to access it on your PC. The app also brings some advanced gesture features which enable you to map custom gestures to do whatever you need. For example, I made a simple cross sign on the screen to open Facebook. Features:
Very professional looking user interface. The tab sync feature is a time saver. Automatically adjusts sites on the speed dial.
Notable Feature: This best Android browser features a reader mode which makes it easier to read articles. The app automatically adjusts the font size and formatting which makes it easier to read the text. It also removes the ads from the page giving the article an almost book-like feel.
5. Opera Mini Browser for Android – Free
Opera has been around since the good old days of Nokia and Java-based phones. I used it back then because the GPRS internet prices were too much for a student. I use Opera Mini on Android now because, let’s face it, not everyone has unlimited data plans on phones. Opera Mini is best known for its ability to use very little data and provide a full experience. Basically what it does is get the site, compress it and send it to your Android device, decompress it and display. This results in minimal data usage. The whole process may seem time-consuming, but it has minimal effect on real-world usage. Features:
A trusty old school design, a friendly face to see. Speed dial is extremely useful. Picture quality can be set easily for minimal data usage.
Notable Feature: This “feature” is more like a tip. As the browser compresses the data on its server (or something), it is possible to access banned or restricted sites on it without the use of any proxy software. Wink Wink if you know what I mean.
6. Firefox Browser for Android – Free
Ah, the trusty old Firefox is also on my favorite mobile browsers. It is a great browser but is still lacking some of the amazing features the first couple of browsers are offering. The browser retains the great Add-ons from its PC counterpart, although they are a little short in numbers. The app also intelligently places frequently visited sites and bookmarks so that you won’t need to reorganize them every time. The app also comes with support for HTML5 and Web APIs (some technical stuff). Features:
The app can sync across multiple browser versions. It is considerably fast as it uses a lot of system resources. The app has some advanced security features built-in.
Notable Feature: Firefox comes with superior mobile video support. The browser supports a wide range of video formats including the relatively new h.264 format. This is clearly the best browser for IT professionals who like advanced features.
7. Google Chrome – Free
The official Google offering, Chrome is one of the most stable Android browsers around. It rarely crashes, even if we open 20 plus tabs. However, you can’t load pages for reading later as the browser annoyingly only keeps the active tab open. The rest need to be loaded again to be viewed. While this may not be a big deal for many but those who have bad internet connection can easily relate to the problem. Overall, Chrome provides everything we may require from a good Android browser. If you use Chrome on PC too, you will be pleased to know that the syncing feature actually works painlessly. Features:
A smooth and reliable experience. Features intuitive gestures and features. Privacy and security are a done deal with incognito mode – If you don’t want people seeing what you search online.
Notable Feature: The app actually offers to translate a full-page from a foreign language to your local one. This is great for those who are constantly traveling to far off lands.
8. Lightning Browser – Free
Just as its name suggests, Lightning Browser aims for speed. The browser’s interface is designed to facilitate fast and easy usage without sacrificing features. The browser likes to keep things simple and clean therefore the bookmarks and tabs are all tucked neatly away in the side drawer. The side drawer is what makes Lightning Browser so pleasantly organize. The side drawer is accessible anywhere, so no matter what, you can call it up to access the tabs as well as bookmarks. The browser also utilizes the WebKit rendering engine which is already on your Android device, therefore it is as native as it can be. Features:
Allows plenty of open tabs. Speed and privacy are top-notch. A full-screen option is available.
Notable Feature: The browser feature inverted rendering which is great for those who like to read at night and don’t want their significant other to wake up. It basically inverts the colors so white becomes black and black text becomes white.
9. Baidu Browser – Free
If you like simple, Baidu Browser will give you simple. It is a fast and easy-to-use browser with plenty of great features. This is one of the best Android browsers because it runs on its own proprietary T5 engine which significantly speeds up loading and opening of webpages. However, in my testing, the page remained non-interactive a few seconds after loading. This may be because my smartphone is getting older but unfortunately, a newer phone was not on hand for further testing. Otherwise, the browser comes with all the bells and whistles like fast downloading and privacy protection and also gesture-based browsing. Features:
The browser comes with its own widget to be placed on the home screen. Custom skins mix things up. Night mode to browse pages.
Notable Feature: Smart video playback allows the playing videos to pop up and be played on top of other apps. This means you can watch a video while reading another article, much like reading the newspaper while the TV is on.
10. One Browser – Free
One Browser is one of the best Android Browsers but is last on the list because of its lack of updates. Sure the browser is great and everything, but it would be nice to get little updates once in a while. Nevertheless, the rendering speed and browsing speed is of high quality. The browser offers traffic saving features like picture compression and website optimization. The app never stops the running downloads even during calls. You can capture pages with the browser this means you can capture a selected area, the full screen or the entire page for viewing later. Features:
Simple and easy to use interface. Adjust font size in order to improve readability. Change skins.
Notable Feature: The multi-window operation, advance page capture and website view switching from mobile to desktop are available.
Conclusion:
These were the 10 best Android browsers and I know there are many more which could have made the list. So have you tried any of these before or do you prefer to use a completely different one? All of these 10 best Android browsers are great in their own right and provide some very unique features. Sure most of the basic features are the same but it’s the little variations which make them invaluable. I always recommend users to have more than 2 browsers on hand, you never know when you may need to switch to another. Sometimes a page is not opening on one but can easily be accessible on another. You can also check some good WiFi apps to get more out of your Android browser apps. So experiment and pick the best combination of Android browsers you feel comfortable using. The surf is up guys. Let us know in the comments section if you have any questions about these Android browser options.
