There is good news for pro-anonymity web users who rely upon the Tor browser for using the internet. The first ever mobile browser app for the Tor browser has been released by the Tor Project, the organization behind the Tor network. The mobile version of the Tor browser is available for download at the Google Play Store and currently, it is compatible with Android devices only.
The Tor Project also disclosed the key features of the new Android app for Tor browser. The app is quite a heavily loaded one as it is equipped with a Tracker Blocker that prevents third-party trackers and advertisements from following the Tor Browser users. Cookies are also cleared automatically once a browsing session is over.
Another important feature is Fingerprint Protection, with which it becomes difficult to fingerprint users as per their device or browser information. Moreover, it offers the exclusive No ISP Blocks feature that lets users enjoy free access to any site even those that have been blocked by the local ISPs. It also offers Multi-layer Encryption with the help of the Onion protocol.
The newly released Tor mobile app will be replacing another Android browser called Orfox, which supports web surfing via the Tor network’s Onion protocol. Orfox, developed by the Guardian Project, will not be facilitating surfing through the Tor network anymore, and users are encouraged to use the Android app for accessing Tor browser on mobile phones.
It is worth noting that the mobile version of the Tor browser is an alpha release. This means the app may contain some bugs. To use this version, users need to install Orbot mobile proxy application. This application is designed to support connectivity between the Android browser and the Tor network. However, according to the Tor Project, in all the future projects, the connection won’t rely upon Orbot.
It is not yet clear whether the Tor Project is planning for an iOS version of the mobile Tor browser, therefore, for now, iOS users will be able to access Tor via Mike Taggs’ Onion Browser application.
With the mobile app, the Tor Project has released an updated version of Tor Browser called the Tor Browser v8. This version will update the codebase of Tor browser with the Firefox Quantum codebase, which was released by Mozilla in November 2017 and has received acclaim for loading pages quickly and having small memory outline.
