There are many reasons why you might want to use the Tor anonymous network, including:
- gaining access to blocked sites,
- increasing the level of security and anonymity,
- visiting resources located “outside” the traditional Internet.
But if on a desktop computer or laptop, as a rule, everything can be configured in a fairly simple and understandable way, then when it comes to a smartphone, everything is no longer so straightforward. Let's figure out how to do this - let's go in order.
Why do you need TOP on Android?
Tor Browser was first released in 2002, but it began to gain popularity online only recently, when anonymity on the Internet and data privacy became especially important.
By visiting a lot of sites, every day we leave various information about ourselves in the depths of the Internet - in our time of active development of cybercrime and growing censorship, this can pose a real threat to everyone.
You can hide your identity online using the Tor browser, which for a long time was only available for PCs, but in 2019 users waited for the official version of the program for smartphones.
Android Tor Browser differs in some ways from the computer version in its functionality, but the essence of the program remains the same - you will be able to visit various sites without harming your privacy, and will also gain access to those resources that are prohibited in your region.
You will log into all sites using someone else's IP address, no one will be able to track your real location, and all data will be transmitted in encrypted form.
The Tor browser for Android will give the smartphone owner a number of advantages :
- When visiting sites, all your data will be transmitted in encrypted form, and it will be multi-level and attackers will not be able to obtain any information.
- The browser blocks third-party trackers that will not be able to trace your route to websites.
- The TOP network uses onion routing technology, so you will access sites through a whole system of proxy servers. It is impossible to calculate your real IP address.
- Since your real address is not used to access the network, you can open sites that are prohibited in your region.
The main advantage of the Tor browser on Android is that with the release of the official program, users finally have the opportunity to anonymously access the Internet without sacrificing comfort.
The program is very easy to install and just as easy to use; you will not experience any difficulties in this process. To understand how everything works in reality, I offer below instructions for installing and using the browser.
Can I still use Orbot?
Unlike Orfox, Orbot will remain available and will continue to receive periodic updates. You can use it for other apps on your Android device to route their traffic through Orbot, such as a VPN.
Orbot has several convenient features that set it apart from your average VPN. For example, Orbot encrypts your traffic, then it passes through several nodes scattered around the globe. In contrast, your regular VPN encrypts your data but then connects you directly.
This configuration has another important difference: speed. There is a good chance that your regular VPN is much faster than Orbot. Orbot node routing means your data takes longer to find its destination. It's more secure, but slower.
The first few alpha versions of the official Android Tor Browser required the Orbot app to route traffic through the Tor network. However, the most recent versions can now route traffic through Tor without Orbot.
Download: Orbot for Android (Free)
How to install TOR browser on Android?
Before the release of the official Tor browser for Android, users who cared about their privacy had to bother and use two applications for this purpose at once.
Previously, it was necessary to download the Orfox browser and the Orbot proxy application, in the creation of which the Tor Browser developers also took part. Now that the official application has appeared, Orfox will no longer receive updates and you will not be able to use this bundle of programs for anonymity.
You can download the official Tor browser for Android absolutely free on Google Play using this link. If you use the search and enter “Tor Browser”, you will see two applications at once, you need to download the program with the purple logo (the green onion is a beta version that is no longer relevant).
After clicking on the link, you will be taken to the download page, where you need to select the “ Install ” button to proceed to the download.
After this, the browser will begin loading, which will take a few seconds. When it is completed, you will see a message about successful installation and can start using the program.
Instructions
Probably every person has heard about the Tor browser and there is no point in praising it on the pages of this article. Therefore, let's immediately move on to considering the first issue on the agenda.
To install the browser on your smartphone, just use the following step-by-step instructions:
- Launch “Play Market” on the device.
- We find the two applications we need: Orfox and Or bot .
- Tap each of the “Install” , confirm the seriousness of your intentions and wait for all procedures to complete.
For the available functionality to work adequately, we need both a browser and a client. In the PC version, two parts of one whole are combined under one roof; this is not yet provided for mobile platforms.
Practical use
The technology for working with Tor is simple, but retains some intrigue for new users of the system. For ease of perception, we present the following information in the form of a bulleted list:
- First, we launch the Orbot , where we go through the initial setup.
- Click on the button "Run".
- Give the application access to network monitoring if required.
- At this point, the setup is complete and you can go to the Orfox browser, to do this you can tap on the icon in the form of a strange fox.
- Complete the initial setup.
- The default is "search engine" DuckDuckGo, which finds hidden sites for the Tor browser on Android.
How to use TOR browser on Android?
When entering the application, first of all click the “ Connect ” button. After this, the connection will begin, which may take a few seconds or a couple of minutes - it all depends on the network.
Next, you will go to the home page - initially this will be the browser start page. In the future, you can change your home page in the settings - for example, you can specify the domain of the search engine you need.
But do not forget that if you search through Google or Yandex, then in this case the level of protection may be reduced. It is more reliable to use the default search engine - DuckDuckGo.
Immediately after installing the Tor browser, it is recommended to check whether routing is running. There are several ways to do this, for example, you can enter “my IP address” in the search bar. There are a lot of services that determine this, and it won’t be difficult for you to find out from which country’s IP you are accessing the network.
Another way is to use the quick link in your browser bookmarks to go to Hidden Wiki. This is a hidden wiki encyclopedia that is not accessible to those accessing through a regular browser. If the resource is opened to you, then you are protected and can safely use your browser to visit the necessary sites.
In general, there are no characteristic features in working with the program; if you are a confident network user, you will not feel any discomfort. In terms of its features, the application differs little from other popular browsers, since the developers took the well-known Firefox as a basis.
The only difficulty may be caused by the lack of the Russian language, because even if you select it in the settings, the translation will be incomplete.
Private mode in Tor
Like other popular browsers, Tor Browser allows you to open a private tab to add another layer of security. Just click on “New private tab” - and then your browsing data will not be saved anywhere. Cookies, browser history, and so on will not be recorded - and all this on top of the usual high level of encryption. So if you want to ensure that you leave no traces of your visits to any sites either on the Internet or on your phone, using private mode is highly recommended.
How to set up TOR browser on Android?
Immediately after installation, you can safely use the Tor browser on your smartphone - the developer does not recommend making any settings if you do not understand their essence. As a result, you can significantly reduce the degree of your anonymity and the confidentiality of data transfer, so it’s really not worth clicking everything.
Those users for whom working with the browser does not present any difficulties can manage their own security level.
In total, there are three security levels in the browser settings:
- Standard settings - if the slider is on this mark, then all functions of Tor itself and the sites you will visit are enabled.
- More secure - some functions of sites that may harm your security will be disabled, which is why their operation may be incorrect or resources will be completely unavailable. In particular, JavaScript, individual fonts and symbols, audio, and video will be disabled.
- The most secure settings - only individual site settings will be allowed, so images, various media, and even the resource script may be affected.
Thus, while increasing your security, you will get sites that work incorrectly; most of them will refuse to open at all. You can select the level of settings that is optimal for you in the “Security Settings” section, which can be found in the drop-down list after clicking the ellipsis on the top panel of the browser.
Let's sum it up
Tor developers guarantee complete confidentiality of personal data, but you have to pay for everything. Sometimes you have to wait several tens of seconds for search engine results; transitions are also not very fast. This is explained by the “digestion” of the user’s desires by servers in Europe, then in the USA, after which, through the Chinese branch, for example, access to the desired content is given.
Tor Browser is the world's most popular method of accessing the dark web. Most of the time, people use Tor Browser on their regular computer. This is because it is overall easier to use and make sure everything works correctly than on a mobile phone.
However, versions of Tor Browser for Android exist. The Tor Project recently released its first official version of the Tor browser for Android, but it's not the only option.
- How to properly configure Tor and hide your IP?
Here's what you need to know about Orfox, Orbot, and the official Android Tor browser to decide which one is better.
Why does the TOR browser crash (does not work, does not start) on Android?
One of the most common causes of errors in the Tor browser for Android may be incompatibility between your Android version and the browser version. For example, only the latest version of Thor 9.0.1 works on Android 10; if you have an old version of the application, you just need to update it through the playmarket.
But even if everything is in order with the browser and Android versions, this does not guarantee stable operation. Judging by user reviews, the program has quite a few bugs, for example, problems can begin simply because you switched the browser to the Russian version.
We can only hope that the developers will be able to fix all the bugs in the near future and the Tor browser for Android will work as stably as the PC version.
Summary
The Tor browser is a popular program that provides secure access to the Internet and also helps to bypass blocking and censorship. Recently, users have had the opportunity to install this solution on their smartphone, but only users of gadgets with the Android operating system have this opportunity.
iPhone owners should not expect Tor browsers to appear on their device, since this is impossible due to Apple’s policy - it blocks some processes and requires the use of its engine. If you have Android, then you can download the application right now and get the level of anonymity you need absolutely free.
Blog creator. Private investor. He has been making money in highly profitable investment projects and cryptocurrencies since 2014. Consults partners. Join the blog's Telegram channel and our chat.
