Why I ditched Chrome, Firefox, and Samsung Web for Courageous

I’ve tried practically each well-liked Android browser on the market, however irrespective of which one I settled on, there was at all times one thing lacking that ultimately pushed me to strive one other. Chrome integrates seamlessly with Android, however it additionally feels barebones with out extension help, advert blocking, and stronger privateness options.

Firefox sits on the reverse finish of the spectrum. It gives extensions, privateness controls, and loads of customization, however lacks fundamental conveniences like tab teams and a bookmark supervisor. Samsung Web got here the closest to turning into my default browser, however its desktop model remains to be a piece in progress, making machine syncing extra sophisticated than it must be.

That frustration ultimately pushed me towards Courageous. I went in with pretty low expectations, however Courageous ended up providing essentially the most full package deal out of each browser I attempted.

If there’s one factor that satisfied me to strive Courageous, it was the fixed reward about its privateness options throughout numerous Reddit threads. And because it seems, the browser actually does stay as much as the hype. For starters, Courageous blocks trackers and third-party cookies throughout websites. Which means I now not have to fret about trying to find a product as soon as after which seeing advertisements for it all over the place on-line.

Courageous additionally blocks intrusive scripts that decelerate web sites and litter pages with popups, autoplay movies, and different annoyances. This makes searching really feel cleaner in comparison with another browsers. It even gives safety in opposition to fingerprinting, a complicated type of monitoring that identifies your machine primarily based on browser settings, display decision, and {hardware} configuration.

The perfect half is that every one these privateness options are pre-enabled in Courageous, so there’s no have to dig by menus to set all the things up. On the similar time, Courageous offers loads of choices for anybody who needs even stricter privateness controls.

I additionally like how the browser is clear about all the things it blocks. On any web site, I can faucet the Courageous Shields icon to see what number of trackers, advertisements, scripts, and different parts had been stopped. Most significantly, Courageous itself doesn’t accumulate any private knowledge — one thing that the corporate proudly states on its official web site.

In contrast to Firefox or Samsung Web, Courageous doesn’t help extensions on Android. Initially, I assumed this may be a dealbreaker as a result of I’ve at all times relied on add-ons to enhance my searching expertise. However surprisingly, I by no means actually missed them. And that’s primarily as a result of most of the options I’d usually set up by third-party add-ons are already constructed instantly into Courageous.

The most important instance is advert blocking. It’s one of many first extensions I set up on any browser, however with Courageous, there’s no want. Now, as somebody who works for websites that depend on advertisements, I totally perceive why they matter. However I additionally despise it when some websites push issues too far by masking half the display with banners or interrupting each few seconds. Fortunately, Courageous strikes a great steadiness. It lets me whitelist websites I need to help whereas avoiding the worst sorts of intrusive promoting elsewhere.

Courageous additionally contains options like Pressure Darkish Mode, which is helpful throughout late-night searching classes. That is once more one thing that requires an extension in browsers like Firefox. Courageous even ships with its personal built-in firewall and VPN service, although it requires a paid subscription. Personally, I don’t use it, however it’s good figuring out the choice is there.

Having these options in-built means I nonetheless get many of the performance I would like with out the dangers of third-party extensions. I don’t have to fret about questionable permissions, poorly maintained extensions, or instruments that accumulate knowledge within the background.

The obvious one is advert blocking. I don’t have to fret about unskippable advertisements or these sponsored banners whereas watching YouTube. Courageous strips all of that away routinely. It additionally helps background play, so I can begin a video, lock the display, and the audio retains enjoying. It’s excellent for podcasts, music, or long-form movies the place I’m largely listening moderately than actively watching the display. There’s even help for picture-in-picture mode. This lets me preserve a small floating video window open whereas scrolling social media, replying to messages, or utilizing different apps.

However my favourite half about watching YouTube on Courageous is the extent of management it offers me. I can block content material suggestions, conceal distracting parts like members-only movies, and even take away the Shorts tab completely.

Past all of the headline-worthy options, Courageous is full of smaller instruments that made me find it irresistible much more. As an example, I like how Courageous lets me totally customise the principle menu. If there are alternatives I by no means contact, like Translate, Courageous VPN, or Courageous Information, I can merely conceal them. One other small however helpful characteristic is “Copy Clear Hyperlink.” Fashionable URLs usually come full of monitoring parameters and pointless junk connected to the tip of hyperlinks. With this selection, Courageous strips all of that away earlier than copying the URL.

Courageous additionally contains its personal AI assistant known as Leo AI. I’m not a fan of apps that push AI into all the things, however Leo AI is helpful for summarizing webpages, asking fast questions, and analyzing information on my telephone. The perfect half is that Courageous shops all chat historical past domestically on my telephone, not on a distant cloud server.

Efficiency is one other space the place Courageous impresses. In line with Courageous’s personal testing, it could actually load pages as much as thrice sooner than many well-liked rivals. And sure, in on a regular basis use, it does really feel quick. Lastly, Courageous can also be open-source. This will not be a giant deal for everybody, however I’m somebody who prefers utilizing open-source apps at any time when potential, in order that’s a giant plus for me.

In fact, all this doesn’t imply Courageous is an ideal browser. Personally, I’m not a fan of its crypto-related options, and sure, the shortage of extension help remains to be a giant miss. However regardless of these flaws, Courageous is the closest factor I’ve discovered to an entire browser expertise on Android. It’s sooner than Chrome, extra privacy-focused than Firefox, and packs higher options than Samsung Web.

Due to that, I’m now not hopping between browsers at this level, and I hope it stays that method.