Someone need to make a better browser for mobile platforms - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Logan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 07:06:38 pm
content: I cannot seem to find a decent browser for tablets on IOS or Android. I know I can't expect mobile platforms to be the same as a proper PC, but whatever, it's ridiculous.Back to the good old days, there was Firefox mobile. But after their @#$%& updates, I don't even use it on PCs (the mobile version is even worse).Now, there's just NOT a single browser, that run on mobile OS, offer freedom of settings(as about:config), and wide range of extensions. (No, not the Firefox Quantum which supports a number of 5 or so.)What do you guys think?

author: Bassman59
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 07:10:35 pm
content: Quote from: Logan on July 16, 2021, 07:06:38 pmI think you need to describe what youdon'tlike about current offerings. Without such, your rant is pointless.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 07:12:42 pm
content: For the most part I find Safari on iOS works very well. The one thing I absolutely hate about it though is how there is no way to set it so the navigation controls are on the screen all the time. It's absolutely maddening to have to tap the screen an extra time EVERY SINGLE TIME to expose the controls. In iOS6 they were displayed all the time and I much preferred that. I don't mind sacrificing a few pixels for controls that I'm using constantly.

author: Logan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 07:17:47 pm
content: Quote from: Bassman59 on July 16, 2021, 07:10:35 pmThank you for the quick reply.I said it in OP, but I can rephrase it again: current mobile browsers don't have enough settings can be changed by users, and don't have a enough selection range of extensions.Do people only watch cat video on mobile? I know phone screens are too small for anything serious, then how about tablets? I also know IOS have strict limitations for APPs to be put in it's store, such as they must use Webkit as browsing engine, but that's not an excuse either, and how about Android?

author: Logan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 07:19:01 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on July 16, 2021, 07:12:42 pmI agree.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 09:46:48 pm
content: Not sure how it is today but about twelve years ago I had to create a couple of webpages for a work project and dug into it a bit and was startled. First you had to query which browser the client was using, then for every browser you needed to custom create exceptions in the code because all of them had these different ways of displaying some stuff. What looked ok on IE was crap on FF etc.So instead of creating yet another browser which has default difficiencies from other browsers I wish there was just one good browser that also works on mobile devicesBut as I said twelve years ago so lots have changed in standardisation since then, with Safari I only encounter two out of hundred webpages where I for instance can not even approve the accept cookies popup because it just does not respond (as an annoying example). On Edge the same page works flawlessly.

author: Whales
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 10:13:14 pm
content: Touchscreen interfaces do suck. Behind the scenes there is some hidden suck too:On iOS:all browsers sourced through official channels use webkit as their engine. It doesn't matter whether they call themselves Safari, Chrome or Firefox: Apple policy prohibits them from using any other browser engine. ie they're just reskins of Safari. The only way to get other browser engines is via unofficial means (jailbreaking last time I checked, but I have not stayed up to date).On Android:most of the browsers are Chromium or webkit based. Firefox has a few variants now available (it used to be harder to get them), some only available from the F-droid store. Some actually support adblocker addons now?

author: Logan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 10:20:54 pm
content: Quote from: Whales on July 16, 2021, 10:13:14 pmOld Firefox mobile support all plugins same as desktop, new stupid versions support about 10 (out of thouthands?), but there is an ADblocker.

author: Logan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 10:25:27 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on July 16, 2021, 09:46:48 pmYes I also want it, just port a desktop browser to mobile, but no one have done that yet.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2021, 07:12:47 pm
content: I use Opera on tablets these days. Not perfect, but it does the job.