Discover the 5 best browsers for iPhone or iPad in 2021. We have listed the best web browser for iPhones and iPads that are considered Safari alternatives on iOS. These browsers are available for free in the app store.
Browsers on your smartphones are probably the most used applications, and there are many readers who would agree with our statement above. In this sense, the iOS ecosystem has Safari as its default browser. While there are quite a few alternatives to this, users generally stick with this offering itself.
One reason for the same could be attributed to the fact that there was no such option to change the default browser on your iPhone or even iPad. However, with the updates to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, this has all changed. One of the biggest talking points to come out of this update was the ability to change the default browser on your Apple devices.
So this immediately opened the doors for the end user to try any of their preferred browsers and set them as default. That said, the App Store already has quite a few deals in this domain. While some focus on the personalization front, others have their strength on the privacy side.
All of this begs one important question: which one should you ultimately settle for? Well, with so many options to choose from, users seem to be spoiled for choice. If you also echo these thoughts, then you have come to the right place. In this post, we will tell you about the best browsers for iOS and iPadOS, their features, and their drawbacks.
Google Chrome for iPhone or iPad in 2021
Let’s start this list with the most obvious options, among Top 5 Browsers for iPhone/iPad in 2021, no wonder it’s ranked number one here. This offering from the Silicon Valley giants manages to check off almost all the prerequisites you can ask of a browser.
One of the biggest advantages you can settle for this is its handy cross-device compatibility. If you use Chrome on your PC, then settling for its mobile variant is a no-brainer.
Likewise, it also has some built-in tools to streamline your overall workflow. Speaking of which, its convenient reading mode ensures that you can read your favorite blogs without any distractions.
With that said, let’s take a look at some of its notable features:
- Its built-in Google voice search helps you find the answer to your query without the need to manually type them.
- Google’s built-in translator allows you to interpret or convert text from one language to another.
- So its ability to sync browsing history, bookmarks, and saved passwords across multiple devices turns out to be quite useful.
- Data saver mode compresses web pages so they load faster on your device.
- An incognito mode for private browsing, where your history, cache, and cookies won’t be recorded, is a boon to user privacy.
However, despite all these advantages, it has the same problem as its web counterpart: it has been known to hog quite a few valuable resources. While today’s iPhone or iPad may not lag because of this, it would definitely result in faster battery drain.
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Microsoft Edge for iOS
If Chrome takes first place, could its partner Chromium be far behind? Based on the Chromium source code, it offers almost all the features that the former has to offer.
But at the same time, it manages to keep resource consumption to a minimum. And it is due to this fact that he has quickly created a niche segment of loyal fan base for himself.
Other than that, the ability to link your iPhone/iPad with your Windows PC and share the saved data such as bookmarks, data, and other browser settings is definitely a boon for users looking for cross-device compatibility. In addition, the following features add to its rich collection:
- Tracking Prevention to prevent third-party trackers from hijacking your browsing activity.
- Baked on Ad-Block Plus to prevent intrusive ads from ruining your browsing experience.
- InPrivate browsing mode so you can browse safely in incognito mode.
- Immersive reading mode allows for a distraction-free experience.
- Password Manager to effectively manage all your saved passwords associated with your account.
The only gripe some may have with Edge is the need for a Microsoft account to extract the full potential of this browser.
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MozillaFirefox for iOS
If privacy is the question, more often than not, Mozilla Firefox comes up as the answer. This privacy-enriched browser comes bundled with quite a few stringent security measures.
In addition to blocking ads and trackers, it makes full use of Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP).
If you prefer to take this security to the next level, then you have the Firefox Focus browser, which is even more aggressive in respecting user privacy and data. Just to cement this statement, here are some privacy-focused features that the browser supports:
- Private browsing mode makes sure that none of your online activities are recorded. Also, once you close this mode, all its associated activities will be permanently deleted from your device.
- Its Enhanced Tracking Protection is known to block all harmful trackers including crypto miners and fingerprinters.
- You can also sync your data across multiple devices. For example, you can save your passwords, bookmarks, and browsing history to your account. Then sign in with that same account to the Mozilla macOS build and all data will be automatically synced to that PC as well.
But there is one big drawback with its bookmark management system. The thing is, it treats your PC and iPhone bookmarks as two separate entities. It not only ends up cluttering the Bookmarks folder, but also does not allow you to manage or delete PC bookmarks through your mobile phone and vice versa. So while it scores pretty well on the privacy front, the same can’t be said for its cross-device management.
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Opera Touch
Another well-known player in this domain, and that can be included in the list of Top 5 Browsers for iPhone/iPad in 2021, is Opera touch, the browser used to be known to be the perfect alternative to Chrome or Firefox. However, things have changed since then and it could well establish itself as a worthy competitor to the aforementioned names.
In addition to its smooth user interface and some Opera-exclusive features, its iOS build has undergone a complete redesign in recent times. One of the main takeaways from it is the introduction of the FAB or Quick Action Button.
Taking a page from Apple’s Control Center, a single tap on this button is enough to invoke quite a few functionalities. From refreshing the tab to closing it or opening a new one, all of this could be done directly through the FAB itself.
With that said, here are some other features worth noting:
- The ‘Flow’ feature allows you to link the device’s browser with its PC version. Then you could easily exchange the desired data from either end.
- It also comes with a built-in QR code scanner, which combines the query with its flow feature well.
- Additionally, it also has a built-in Crypto wallet that efficiently manages the likes of Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies.
- Then its AdBlocker feature along with pop-up blockers leads to an immersive browsing experience.
But it suffers from two major drawbacks: the lack of bookmark management and the option to sync your data online. Being a browser, these features are usually among the most important, the lack of which is sure to disappoint quite a few users.
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BraveBrowser
This could be considered as one of the most unique entries on this list, due to its functional methodology. By default, the browser blocks all ads. This not only results in a less intrusive UI/UX, but also greatly increases page load speed.
Considering that the browser no longer has to load JavaScripts and other trackers, the speed increase would be imminent. But since all the ads are blocked, how do the website owners get a fair share of the revenue?
Well, at the end of the month, the browser will compensate the publisher by estimating your interaction with that site. Likewise, you can also share your BAT (Basic Attention Token) with publishers. Apart from that, it is also known to respect the user’s privacy in some other terms, namely:
- The HTTPS Everywhere feature ensures that you only visit secure sites.
- Also, all data transfer that takes place between the client and the server is encrypted by default.
- It also blocks all third-party trackers, plugins, and scripts.
- There is also a built-in private VPN that allows you to hide your real IP address and browse anonymously.
However, there is still a bit of reluctance, especially in the developer and publisher community. This is because they are still not sure how these brave rewards add up compared to the revenue they earn through ads.
So until the payment methodology is further simplified, one or two sections of the user base could keep a safe distance from this browser.
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Merging a privacy-focused browser together with a customizable one would result in something similar to DuckDuckGo. That is why we included it in the list of the Top 5 Browsers for iPhone/iPad in 2021
In addition to giving equal importance to privacy and customizations, it also boasts its own search engine, which recently logged over 100 million searches in a single day. All these factors are driving him to scale new heights with each passing day.
Likewise, some of its nifty features might also have contributed to its continued rise. Here are some of the highlights that deserve your attention:
- Block all third party trackers by default.
- Its Enforce Encryption feature ensures that you always land on the HTTPS version of a site instead of HTTP (if available).
- Likewise, it also gives each site a privacy score, from A to F. So this could…
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