Anonymize Your Android Browsing With the New Tor App
After months of testing, the first stable public build of the Tor browser for Android is finally available on the Google Play store.
For those who don’t have a lot of experience with an open source browser, Tor is built with privacy and autonomy in mind. Previously, we have repeatedly considered the desktop versions of Tor , but the cornerstone of Tor is that it is a browser that stores the (almost) anonymous users. It’s not perfect – you’ll still have to be careful if you’re trying to do something that you shouldn’t – but it creates a fairly private environment that most ordinary people can play in.
Tor is often cited as an essential tool for those on the Internet, such as journalists or activists, but anyone with a privacy concern can benefit from Tor. The browser has become so popular that even Mozilla is interested in using Tor technology in Firefox (which, ironically, is the web browsing software that Tor is originally based on).
The Tor Project says that particular attention has been paid to the Android version, as mobile browsing tends to be even more observable than desktop browsing, and because users generally have less control over their mobile browsing experience. As such, Tor Android has a slightly different set of features to match the unique privacy priorities when browsing mobile websites. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll find in Tor Android:
Tracker blocking
All web pages are “isolated” – which means they are stored separately so that your activities cannot be tracked – and your cookies are automatically deleted when you close the application.
Unblocked sites
Tor will allow you to access websites that may have been blocked by ISPs or regional governments, and will prevent forced bypass of proxy connections.
Encryption
All Tor traffic information is triple encrypted and decentralized across thousands of servers.
Keeps users confidential and anonymous
Tor prevents fingerprinting, which means all Tor users look identical to outside sources – be they trackers, hackers, ISPs, or other surveillance groups.
Although the concept of mobile and desktop versions of Tor is the same, and from now on they will all use the same build number, some features and settings of desktop browsers may not be present on Android. Also, the Android version is still new and as more users start trying it, errors may occur. If you find any bugs or glitches, be sure to report them .
Until now, Tor adherents have relied on third-party browsers like Orfox or Orbot to get a privacy fix on Android. However, with the release of Tor Android, support for Orfox will end soon . IOS users, on the other hand, will need to continue to use third-party Tor browsers like Onion Browser if they want a similar browsing experience. However, no matter which version of Tor you are using, we highly recommend using it alongside other encryption and open source services .