Top 8 Best Private Browser Apps for Android & iOS Users

So far, majority of us have either used the in-built incognito mode on browsers like Chrome and Firefox or are at least aware of the same. Private browsers serve the same purpose, except, they come with more advanced features. In case you’re unfamiliar, the incognito mode or private browsing enables netizens to turn off browsing history and web cache, thereby allowing them to surf the world wide web without storing any local data. Note that this data can be extracted anytime a user wishes.

Aside from that, these browsers also offer other advantages such as auto-fill, prevention of account credentials storage, multiple accounts sign-in option using new tabs, website testing, make “pure searches” instead of the ones auto-suggested, and of course, cover up your secret browsing trails (read: porn access). Also, doesn’t it feel a bit creepy knowing that the www keeps a track of all your searches and browsing activities?

There are a vast number of private browsers in the market. Therefore, we’ve made a list of the best ones available on both, Android and iOS.

Best Private Browser Apps For Android & iOS Users

1. Dolphin Zero Incognito Browser:

Not to be confused with its sister app (Dolphin Browser), Dolphin Zero is considered as one of the most efficient, yet lightweight incognito browsers, that wouldn’t occupy too much space on your devices. It is quite safe in that it deletes data such as cache, passwords, browsing history, form information, address book, location data, and cookies, automatically. All you need to do is tap on the “Do not track” function. As far as browsing speed is concerned, Dolphin Zero fares reasonably well and stands as a tough contender against its rivals. A few of its other features include flash player support, ad/pop-up blocker, multiple tabs, ability to modify default search engine, super fast download, sync functionality, neat UI, gesture control, cool themes and wallpapers for the browser, and bookmarks.

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2. Firefox Focus:

Firefox Focus is repeatedly mentioned in pretty much every blog that talks about private browsing, and with good reasons. Its not only fast, but also incredibly easy to use, and highly focused on doing what its supposed to do; i.e., help users browse privately. Although initially, it only catered to iOS users, its now also available for download on the Play Store. Firefox Focus comes with features like ad-blocking, web tracker blocking, faster page load-times, disable saving of information such as cookies and passwords. If you’re as forgetful as me, you’ll definitely appreciate its notification system that let’s you know in case a surf session is still running in the background and needs to be erased.

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Recently, we have also shared best emoji apps for Android users.

3. DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser:

Don’t judge this app by its cartoonish name and logo. DuckDuckGo is actually a pretty solid private browser to have climbed up the ladder of popularity, ranking 3^rd, after Google and Yahoo. You can use this app to break away from ad-tracking networks, browse privately, use the privacy grade rating feature on any website, bookmark sites for better organization, launch multiple tabs, use auto-fill, and enjoy a much higher protection as far as encryption (data/site) is concerned. Note that as per user ratings, this app does seem to save searches on a few occasions. However, this should be fixed in the future updates.

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3. Ghostery Privacy Browser:

Yet another well-received private browsing app, Ghostery Privacy Browser also offers you increased protection, speedy browsing, and privacy. It boasts of a very clean interface and comes with a bunch of features like an instant tracker overview on various websites, website whitelisting, a tracker database of over 2,200, extra options for privacy, mobile and desktop format support, support for 8 search engines including Google, Baidu, and DuckDuckGo, ghost mode, and prompts for very few permissions. The only drawback that I experienced was that importing bookmarks can be a pain on this app. And sometimes, it doesn’t block ads successfully.

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You may also like these ad blockers for Android users.

4. InBrowser:

Similar to most private browser apps, InBrowser allows you to erase browsing history and cache from the browser upon each exit. It is definitely feature-rich, bringing to you features such as no data saving, Onion Router (TOR) support via Orbot for accessing geo-blocked content and increased privacy, search engine support for StartPage, DuckDuckGo, Google, Bing, and Yahoo, data protection, thanks to the lack of ad trackers, agent cloaking support, LastPass integration for auto-filling of passwords, in-app support for videos, easy switching between tabs, fast download speed, minimalistic browser design, and Adobe Flash support. The only disappointment is that this app charges you extra if you wish to unlock advanced (most) features.

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5. Brave Browser:

Brave Browser is quite a robust replacement for regular browsers like Chrome and Internet Explorer. The app chiefly brands itself as a fast ad-blocker while also offering other features such as battery/data optimization, increased privacy and security, script blocking, bookmarks, protection from trackers, cookie blocking from 3^rd party sites, and private tabs. To block any particular site, all you have to do is find Brave Shields, go to settings and select the sites you wish to block. Though this browser blocks ads pretty efficiently, there have been reports where users have had complaints regarding its failure to block certain ads on certain sites. Also, the bookmark feature could do with some update as it doesn’t let you add them to the homepage.

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6. Maxthon Browser:

Earlier known as MyIE2, Maxthon is an extremely sophisticated, light-weight browser that is not only available on Android and iOS platforms but also on Windows 8, Linux, and macOS. It brings to you a host of features including a built-in email address manager, ad-blocker, support for over 25 different languages, incognito mode for browsing without being tracked, sync tabs, bookmarks, and browsing history across devices, smart image display to keep a tab on data usage, manage multiple tabs at ease, customize speed dial and access sites with a single tap, enable night mode to avoid straining eyes, built-in password manager, note-making tool. As per reviews, Maxthon Browser may seem a bit slow to fire up. However, this should be fixed in their future updates.

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7. Aloha Browser:

A highly recommended browser, Aloha is both, fast and free, bundled with a huge cluster of features. This is perhaps the most unique browser on this list, in that it comes with a free VPN service which as you may know, keeps your IP address and other personal details concealed from prying eyes. This in turn offers an added security while browsing. A few of its key features include ad-blocker, downloads manager, private tabs requiring passcode/fingerprint authorization, VR player to enjoy VR videos right from the browser. That said, there has been an issue in the past where the browser wouldn’t perform adequately as far as video playback or downloading is concerned.

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8. UC Browser:

Yet another fast browser, UC enhances your browsing experience by blocking ads and helping you to use minimum mobile data. Some of its main features are night mode, Facebook mode, video access catering to all types of audiences, a super smooth browsing, small window mode, and of course, ad-blocking. To elucidate further, the small window mode let’s you pin the video you want to watch on the top of your screen instead of viewing on the webpage; so you can perform other tasks and browsing activities without being interrupted. UC browser has another awesome feature called Cricket Card. This feature caters to fans of Cricket and offers live cricket match scores and other relevant information.

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Wrapping Up:

These are the best private browsers in our opinion. Hope that you enjoy using them too! That said, there are still quite a few good ones that we left out since they either only work on Android or on iOS. Some of the other notable private browsers are Orbot (Android), Select Browser (iOS), CM Browser (Android), Armorfly (Android), and Privacy Browsing (iOS). Do check them out and let us know which one/ones you like the best.

A Word of caution – you may find it useful to know that these private browsers may not be all that private. Firstly, they still do what the regular web browsers like Google Chrome; only with better tools. Even with these apps, your data is still exposed. That means, your activities may still be visible to your ISP. So what’s the other alternative? VPN services! They’ll actually hide your IP address and let you browse anonymously, without giving away any personal information.

Having said that, these private browsers are still very useful.