Android Browsers

In networking, choosing the right browser is very important. Browsers act as gateways that companies use to monitor user activity. For example, Google Chrome works more like a data collection tool than just a browser, tracking things like keystrokes and browsing habits. This highlights how important it is to pick a browser that focuses on user privacy.

All browsers are either in Aurora Store or F-Droid unless something else is stated.

Firefox is a popular browser that can be changed into a very private tool when set up correctly and used with the right resources. It offers a strong base for user privacy, thanks to the Mozilla Foundation, which supports privacy and user rights. Many of us like Firefox and think everyone should use a version made especially for privacy.

In addition, the browser’s open-source nature makes it easy to see the code. This transparency allows anyone to check the code, so independent developers can confirm that the browser does not secretly collect or sell user data.

Download Here:

Aurora Store

First Launch & Initial Setup

At first launch you get a screen saying “Welcome to Firefox”.

Click “Continue”.
Set Firefox as default browser if desired.
Click “Add Firefox widget” or “Not now”.
Then click “Not now” twice.
After that choose if the address bar should be on top or on the bottom.
Click “Save and continue”.
Click the three dots at the top right corner and click on “Settings”

Search

Click on the “Search” tab
Set “Default search engine” to “DuckDuckGo” or add your own search engine”.
Go back to Search
Click on “Manage alternative search engines” and disable all but DuckDuckGo (Or your own).
Then return to “Search”
Disable all options.
Go back.

Homepage, Passwords & Autofill

Disable all and set “Opening screen” to “Homepage”.
Go back and click on “Passwords”.
Click on “Save passwords” and set to “Never save”.
Disable everything else.
Go back and click on “Autofill”.
Disable everything.
Go back.

At The Bottom Of Settings

Scroll to the bottom of settings and click on “Private Browsing”.
Enable “Use screen lock to hide tabs in private browsing”.
Go back to Settings.
Click on “HTTPS-Only Mode” and enable it. Then set it to “Enable in all tabs”.
Go back and click on “DNS over HTTPS” and set it to “Max Protection” and use Cloudflare or NextDNS (Custom or not).
Return to settings.
Click on “Enchanced Tracking Protection” and set it to “Strict” and keep “Fix major issues” checked.
Verify that “Tell websites not to share & sell data” is off. Then go back.
Click “Data collection” and disable all options. Then set “Crash Reports” to “Never send”.
Click on extensions and click the + next to uBlock Origin. Allow it to download and click “Add” then “OK”.

Firefox is a popular browser and if you don’t want to set it up from the start, Waterfox is a hardened version of Firefox. The browsers design might be different but the browser works exactly like Firefox only we don’t need to make as many tweaks.

First Launch & Initial Setup

At first launch you are prompted to pick your default browser, pick your primary browser and click “Set as default”. If you dont want to change it press cancel. Click the three dots at the upper right corner and scroll down to the bottom and click “Settings”.

Search

This is a tab that makes a big difference for privacy so here you should really follow the steps. Obviously we want to give as much options as possible within a privacy framework. The very first option might be one of the most important decisions you can make in your browser, pick wisely.

Default Search Engine

Startpage and Duckduckgo uses the Bing search index while Ecosia and Qwant partnered to make their own search index. The same is with Mojeek that also uses their own search index. The following options are all great options which we’ve tried and tested.

Duckduckgo.
StartPage.
Qwant.
Mojeek.
Ecosia.

Search Suggestions & Address Bar (Optional)

We disabled all of these because we don’t see a good use for it, we see these options as extras. If you like them then you should keep them. They don’t really do much in terms of privacy or secruity at all.

Go back to settings.

Home Page, Passwords & Payment Methods

In Homepage disable all.
Set Opening Screen to “Homepage”.
Go back and click on “Passwords”.
In Passwords you want to set “Save passwords” to “Never save”.
Then go back to Passwords and disable all the other options.
Go back to settings and click on “Payment Methods”

Privacy & Advanced

This is where it gets very important. If this browser is to be private we do need to make some tweaks. Certain things are going to break if this is done wrong but fear not, we will make sure all your things will work.

Verify that all is off in “Private browsing”.
Then verify that “HTTPS-Only Mode” is set to Enable in all tabs.
Click “DNS over HTTPS” and set it to “Ultra Protection” and go back to settings.
Enable “Cookie Banner Blocker in private browsing”.
Set “Enchanced Tracking Protection” to strict.
Scroll down a little further and verify that “Tell websites not to sell or share my data” is off.
Go back, click on “Delete browsing data on quit” and enable it.
Verify that all is checked and go back.
If desired add uBlock (It’s very recommended)

Mobile Browsers

All browsers are either in Aurora Store or F-Droid unless something else is stated.

Brave Browser is a stronger version of Chromium, built with a focus on user privacy and security. For those who enjoy the look and function of Google Chrome but want better privacy features, Brave is a great alternative.

One of the best features of this browser is its built-in ad blocker, which removes ads and trackers easily. Also, Brave uses advanced methods to protect against browser fingerprinting, which helps keep your data safe and reduces how users are identified online. This includes blocking third-party cookies, which are often used to track what users do on different websites. By using these privacy features, Brave creates a browsing experience that prioritizes both privacy and security.

First Launch & Initial Setup

At first launch you are prompted to pick your default browser, pick your primary browser and click “Set as default”. If you dont want to change it press cancel.

You will be prompted to “Help Brave Search grow”, press “Maybe Later”.
Then uncheck all in “Help make Brave better” and press continue.
Press the 3 dots at the lower right corner and click “Settings”.

Brave Shields & privacy

This is where the magic happens. The control room, where we decide what is blocked and what comes through. You will see when you first enter “Brave Shields & Privacy” that you have a hundred options. This may seem overwhelming but let us guide you through it.

Set “Block trackers & ads” to “Aggressive” and press done.
Then set “Upgrade connections to HTTPS” to “Require all connections to use HTTPS (strict)” and press done.
After that verify that “Block Fingerprinting” and “Prevent fingerprinting via language settings” is enabled.
Disable “Store contact information for future reports”.
Click “Content Filters” and enable the ones you want. (If you are unsure, then you can enable EasyList Cookie and the 4 Fanboy’s options).
Go back and enable “Forget me when I close this site”.
Enable “Clear data on exit”.
Disable all social media buttons.
Scroll down to the bottom and find “Use secure DNS” and set it to your provider of choice. (You can use 1.1.1.1 for Cloudflare if you don’t have one yourself. Alternatively check our guide on DNS).
Disable “Allow privacy-preserving product analytics (P3A)”, “Automatically send diagnostic reports”, “Automatically send daily usage ping to Brave” and “Allow Brave surveys” then go back to Settings.

Search Engines & Homepage

Go to “Search engines” and pick your search engine in both standard and private tabs.
Disable “Quick search engine” then go back and disable the rest.
Then return to Settings.
Click on “Homepage” and disable it.
Go back to settings and enable “Closing all tabs closes Brave” (Optional).

Passwords, Autofill & Other Uncomfortable Things

Scroll down to the bottom and in the following categories disable all:
Brave Password Manager.
Autofill services.
Payment methods.
Addresses and more.

After you did this then disable “Autofill in private tabs”.

Vanadium is our Chromium-based browser built into GrapheneOS, featuring all the necessary security enhancements. In addition, the browser is frequently updated and is a strong choice for privacy-focused users. If you follow the steps below, you will be using Vanadium. However, if you prefer Firefox, Brave, or another browser, you will need the Aurora Store.

Technical Details

Getting Into Settings

Open Vanadium.
Click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
Click on “Settings.”

Privacy and Security Configuration

Click on “Privacy and security.”
Click on “Third-party cookies” and ensure it blocks third-party cookies.
Go back.
Enable “Close tabs on exit.”
Disable “Improve search suggestions.”
Disable “Open external links in incognito.”
Disable “Send a ‘Do Not Track’ request” (explained later at the bottom).
Set “Safe Browsing” to “Enhanced protection.”
Set “Always use secure connections” to “Warns you for insecure public & private sites.”
Set “Use secure DNS” to your custom NextDNS (note: I use a different profile than on my network setup).
Disable “Access payment methods.”

Password, Payment And Autofill Settings

Go back.
Click on “Password Manager” and disable all.
Go back.
Click on “Payment methods” and disable all.
Go back.
Click on “Addresses and more” and disable it.
Go back.
Click on “Autofill services” and disable it.

We don’t want our browser to save information, as there are browser-specific attack methods that can be utilized to steal all the information Vanadium holds. This is still the case, even if it is significantly less than other browsers, I am sure. With that said, a lot of convenience is often tied to less privacy; however, it’s not always the case. In this case, I believe it’s not a good idea.

Tab Management

Go back.
Click on “Tabs and tabs groups.”
Click on “Move to inactive section.”
Set to “After 7 days inactive.”
Enable “Archive duplicate tabs.”
Enable “Automatically close inactive items.”

Site Settings

Go back to “Settings.”
Click “Site settings.” Disable all under the “Permissions” section.
Set “Clipboard” to ask first.
Under the “Content” section (same tab), block “JavaScript JIT.”
Block “Pop-ups and redirects.”
Block “Ads.”
Block “Background sync.”
Block “Automatic downloads.”
Enable “Automatically remove permissions.”

Final Note

Now we have set up Vanadium, giving us a very secure browser. It has many built-in security and privacy features. However, we need to remember to delete our browser history manually. If we make a habit of regularly deleting our browser data, Vanadium is all we need. We recommend keeping Vanadium and getting into the habit of deleting our browser data each time since it’s made by GrapheneOS.

If we aren’t fans of Chromium, we could consider switching to Firefox. I tried Firefox on my phone, but we find Vanadium to be better overall. If we need something even more secure, we could look into using Tor.

Be cautious with Do Not Track. It can actually be used to identify and track us, so we should avoid using it.

Mobile Browsers

All browsers are either in Aurora Store or F-Droid unless something else is stated.

This extension is a free and open-source browser tool designed to block ads. It effectively blocks different types of ads, such as banners, video ads, and pop-ups, using multiple filter lists. Additionally, you can block specific elements by right-clicking and selecting ‘Block element.’ This feature is helpful, for example, if you want to read an article about death but come across a disturbing photo. Blocking that element can make your reading experience more comfortable.

The Lite version differs from the standard version mainly because it doesn’t include the ‘advanced user’ features found in the full version. Instead, it uses a slider to decide what to block, providing essential ad-blocking functionality without any unnecessary extras.

uBlock Origin (Firefox)
uBlock Origin Lite (Chromium)

Initial Setup

Download and Enable.
Allow it to run in private windows as well.

Pinning

- Go to the puzzle piece icon at the top, next to the menu.
- Click the puzzle piece and press the pin icon to keep it accessible.

Configuration Steps

Right-click the uBlock Origin icon and press Options.
Scroll to the bottom and click on “I am an advanced user.”
Click on “Filters” at the top and select the filters you want. I selected most of them (in the lite version, you can’t pick all).
Click the “Apply Changes” button.

uBlock Origin

Now, if you go to duckduckgo.com or bravesearch.com and left-click the uBlock Origin icon, you will see several fields. The rule is: if it’s red, it blocks.

The right side is for local blocking, so if you want to unblock things locally, that’s how to do it.
If you block on the left, then it applies global blocking.

uBlock Origin Lite

The lite version just have a slider instead of the other things. Therefore slide towards the right for more blocking and to the left for less.

Final Note

Now you should have one or more fully set up browsers with uBlock Origin or uBlock Origin Lite. After all, you couldn’t download it without a browser. We have made strides for your privacy, as many privacy issues occur on the internet.