I confess that I have been a big fan of Google Chrome since the beginning. In fact, I am personally an Apple ecosystem user and it has been my browser of choice for many years on my Mac, iPhone and Android devices. I have tried a few web browsers and while Brave or Opera convince me, I’m used to it and I like Chrome.
The reality is that Google Chrome has long had too much bloatware and suggestions that tarnish the user experience, so in essence What I wanted was more Chrome and less Google. I found it: I had tried Kiwi and Bromite, but I discovered another free open source browser that won me over for its lightness and speed. It is now a must-have on my Android mobile.
What is Cromite and how does it work?
I have already mentioned Bromite and I did so deliberately because Bromite is a fork of Bromite (and therefore Chromium) that is aesthetically reminiscent of the better Chrome. In short, Cromite is a simple browser and this is a virtue that is seen in the fluidity of its operation. The fault lies in the fact that it has ad blocking (with Adblock), a complete proposal to protect privacy and that lacks add-ons that annoy and confuse.
As the project promises, its mission is limit features that track usage patterns and, if this is not possible, disable them, thus giving the user the freedom to choose what they want to do. In fact, it has a long list of features to protect user data, such as the incognito mode working by default, support for configuring ad blockers and filters, or disabling smart search with its suggestions.
For example, the first image seen below these lines, the main screen is much cleaner than Chromewithout recommended entries, search suggestions, etc. So you have the search engine, the button to open favorites and downloads and nothing else.
In terms of management, it is very similar to Google Chrome in terms of menus, although with more and better advanced options. Thus, it supports user agent customization and recovers some Chrome features that could be enabled with Chrome Flags.
In summary: Bromite has the best of Chrome, but without the bad of Google. It is ideal for getting rid of recommendations and taking extreme precautions and since it works wonderfully, it is a good option for basic or veteran mobile phones. The only drawback I have is that it does not have multi-device synchronization, although if you have a password manager, bookmarks and independent sessions, it is fine.
Bromite is not available on the Google Play Storebut installing it on an Android is not really a mystery: just go to the project’s GitHub to download the APK based on your mobile’s architecture and install it on your mobile or tablet. Of course, it is important to allow unknown sources.
Cover | Photo montage by Codioful (formerly Gradienta) on Unsplash and Mockuphone
In Xataka Android | This list is a privacy goldmine: 100+ free open source apps and services that don’t collect personal data
