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Android Authority
6 days ago
- Android Authority
This might be the only Google Chrome alternative that could rip me away from Firefox
Andy Walker / Android Authority Choosing a web browser is a deeply personal decision, as I've learned from reading spicy comments on various forums over the years. I've been loyal to Firefox for a long time, but Mozilla's recent missteps and the browser's growing flaws have started to bitter my experience. So, I explored the Play Store for sweeter alternatives and stumbled across a potential candidate: Banana Browser. What Chromium-based browser do you use? 0 votes I use Google Chrome. NaN % I use a Google Chrome alternative (mention in comments). NaN % I don't use a Chromium browser. NaN % I'm unsure if my browser is based on Chromium or not. NaN % It's rare for me to be impressed by a Chromium browser, but here we are. Banana has been a surprisingly positive addition to my Android phone in recent weeks. It's an app I only recently discovered, even though it launched in 2020. It's a relatively mature project in that sense, and it shows. Largely devoid of tricks and gimmicks, Banana Browsers offers nearly all the features a picky Firefox user like me could want. A rather a-peeling Google Chrome alternative Banana Browser offers plenty for those seeking a Google Chrome alternative on Android, too. While it feels different, it's not too divergent. It adopts a broadly similar UI to other Chromium browsers, with a few welcome alterations. A Microsoft Edge-like bottom bar is perhaps the biggest change. It includes all the essential shortcuts and buttons I could want. The browser excels in one-handed ergonomics, with a quick overflow menu closest to my thumb at the bottom right corner of the screen. Master this menu (and rearrange it to your liking), and you'll easily zip around the browser in no time. I'll admit it takes some getting used to, but the learning curve is worth it. Banana includes built-in extensions, including Adblock, a quick DNS selector, and an excellent media player feature. Banana Browser also addresses one of my biggest pain points with Chrome on Android: extension support, albeit the extensions are integrated directly into the browser. Those on tap include Adblock, which also supports custom blocklists, a global dark mode option, and a secure DNS switcher to quickly switch between Cloudflare, OpenDNS, and others. The browser allows an external download manager to handle file grabs, and, more intriguingly, tit offers a master lock feature for added access security — a feature you don't see on many major browsers. To remain trendy in the age of AI, Banana Browser does bow to some fads. It offers quick access to ChatGPT through a shortcut button. Tapping it brings up the generative AI service's dialog for quick contextual searches and more. Sure, the button is a nice option and gives Banana an edge over Chrome, but I think it adds unnecessary bloat to the experience. Andy Walker / Android Authority Nevertheless, Banana Browser excels beyond any other browser I've used before when handling media on web pages. When selecting full screen on a video, the browser pushes it to its specialized player, which offers additional controls and viewing options beyond stock website abilities. I can swipe horizontally on the video to seek, or vertically to increase the volume. The browser also offers a control lock option to ensure I don't accidentally swipe away from the video as I'm wont to do. The experience is incredibly smooth, and I've found that Google's video experience within the browser is far friendlier than on the YouTube app itself. Watching YouTube on Banana Browser is far more enjoyable than on the YouTube app itself. Notably, it's not just YouTube that's compatible. I tested the player with Twitch, Dailymotion, and TikTok; all are supported. For YouTube specifically, the browser includes Sponsorblock support, background play capabilities, and the option to cast video to supported devices. It's remarkable how seamless this feature is. Tap the full-screen button on any platform, and the player springs into action. Mostly appetizing, but it's still a little green Andy Walker / Android Authority Despite its media player smarts, Banana Browser isn't flawless. I'm not sure it's the best Chrome alternative for those highly concerned about privacy and online security. The browser does have added features that intend to address these concerns, but I'm somewhat alarmed by the slowish development. The browser hasn't been updated in about four months — an eternity for a modern browser. For some context, Chrome is currently on version 138, while Banana uses Chromium version 133 as its base. Then there's the inclusion of ads within the browser itself. Granted, it's a single Surfshark ad within the Use secure DNS section, and I understand developers need to eat, but this feels slightly contradictory when the browser blocks content on web pages. I will admit that this ad is static and doesn't distract, pop up, or ruin the overall browser experience. However, it's worthwhile to acknowledge its existence, especially for a browser that includes 'Adblock' in its Google Play title. As a Chromium-based browser, Banana also has a few Chromium-based annoyances. As a Chromium-based browser, Banana also has a few Chromium-based annoyances. Unlike Firefox, it doesn't offer the option to add additional search engines, and some major options are missing. While I like the addition of DuckDuckGo, options like StartPage, Kagi, and Ecosia are missing. I would have loved the option to add custom engines to use ChatGPT and Perplexity from the search bar itself without tapping a toolbar icon. Again, this isn't a Banana Browser-specific flaw but one common across Chrome alternatives. Thanks to the older version of Chromium it's using, Banana also lacks the newer features you'll find on current Chrome builds, including full bottom bar support. Although the feature is still broken on Google's browser, it would've paired well with Banana's bottom-biased UI design. Andy Walker / Android Authority Finally, Banana Browser came close to winning me over with its Banana Extension settings option alone. When I first installed the browser, I thought it offered Chrome extension support similar to Microsoft Edge, but this isn't true. Many of the included extensions are those I currently use on Firefox, but I'd still appreciate more options. I love discovering new apps that force me to rethink the status quo, especially when it's a new browser. Overall, Banana Browser has left a sweet taste in my mouth. It's a wonderfully customizable portal to the web. It offers excellent ergonomic design, useful in-built extensions, and a media player that threatens the existence of YouTube and Twitch on my phone. Of all the Chromium-based browsers I've tried, Banana is perhaps the closest I've come to reconsidering Firefox as my daily driver. However, 'closest' really is the key word here. It still has minor annoyances that keep me away from Chrome-like browsers, from the lack of user-installed extension support to the lack of an actual bottom address bar design. Nevertheless, I have to give Banana Browser its plaudits, and I'm excited to see how the experience ripens over time.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
Instapaper, an app that lets you read articles without the clutter
Save any website or online article to read it later - anytime, anywhere and even offline - in a clean and uncluttered design. That's the idea behind the Instapaper app, now available for both Android and iOS. In the age of newsletter pop-ups, cookie disclaimers and overloaded website designs, the app formats pages and removes layout clutter to ensure the text is optimally readable on mobile devices. If the concept sounds familiar, then you might remember it from the reading app Pocket, which Mozilla killed off on July 8 (former users can still back up their data until October 8, but they now lack a reading app). Instapaper could well fill the gap, as former Pocket users would not need to make significant adjustments to the app: It allows unlimited articles and other pages to be saved in a reading-optimised format and organised into folders. Content can also be synchronised across different devices (browser, iOS and Android). Reading can be customised to be as individual and comfortable as possible with freely selectable fonts, colours and line spacing. The basic version of Instapaper is free for both iOS and Android. The premium version, which costs $6 or €7 per month or $60 or €70 per year, additionally allows users to highlight text, have text read aloud, and sort articles (by popularity, date or article length). It also includes a full-text search, an archive function for content you have read, and unlimited notes (limited to five per month in the basic version).
South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Firefox web browser prepares to close China entity amid competition from Chrome, Safari
The operator of the Firefox web browser, once a challenger to Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) in the dotcom era, plans to close its China entity. Advertisement The Chinese version of Firefox put up a notice earlier this week, informing users of 'the shutdown' of its main entity in Beijing and the 'termination' of the web browser's China accounts, according to social media posts and local media reports. The notice, which also said that the software would continue to be available in the market, was later removed. A Firefox employee on Tuesday published a manual on the Chinese language online forum of Firefox owner Mozilla, instructing users on how to back up data, configuration files and how to restore them. The Chinese entity, Beijing Mozilla Firefox Information Technology, could not be reached for comment on Friday, as its email address was invalid and the phone went unanswered. The Mozilla Firefox logo is displayed on a smartphone screen. Photo: Shutterstock Images The Beijing office that was its registered address appeared to be closed when a Post representative visited on Thursday afternoon.
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Business Standard
17-07-2025
- Business Standard
Gmail's Gemini-powered summaries may expose users to security risks: Report
Google has been gradually integrating new AI capabilities into its mobile Gmail app. In June, it introduced a feature powered by Gemini that generates summaries of emails and lengthy threads. According to a report by The Indian Express, a recently uncovered security flaw indicates that these AI-generated summaries can be misused to display harmful instructions and embed links to malicious websites. Indian Express cites Marco Figueroa, GenAI Bug Bounty Programs Manager at Mozilla, stating that a security researcher uncovered a prompt injection flaw in Google Gemini for Workspace, which let attackers 'hide malicious instructions inside an email' that triggered when users clicked the 'Summarise this email' button in Gmail. Attack through Gemini: How does this work As per the report, hackers found a way to hide secret instructions in emails that trick Google's Gemini AI. They did this by placing hidden text at the end of the email using HTML and CSS, making the font size zero and the colour white so it could not be seen. Because these emails do not contain attachments, they can easily pass through Google's spam filters and reach users' inboxes. When someone opens the email and clicks 'Summarise this email' using Gemini, the AI follows the hidden commands without knowing they are harmful. Mozilla's Marco Figueroa explained how such prompt injections can be detected with: Gemini can be updated to ignore or remove hidden text in emails. Google can use a post-processing filter to scan Gemini's output for: Urgent messages, Phone numbers, Suspicious links. These flagged elements can then be reviewed for potential threats. Google has reportedly issued a statement to BleepingComputer, stating, 'We are constantly hardening our already robust defenses through red-teaming exercises that train our models to defend against these types of adversarial attack." The company representative clarified to BleepingComputer that some of the mitigations are in the process of being implemented or are about to be deployed. The report further states that Google has seen no evidence of incidents manipulating Gemini in the way demonstrated in Figueroa's report.
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Everyone using Gmail given new inbox warning - watch out for dangerous hidden message
Gmail fans need to be on high alert when getting summaries of their inbox messages. Gmail users are being urged to stay alert and watch out for a worrying new type of scam that hides itself within messages. It appears there's a way of fooling Google's clever AI Gemini service, and it could allow hackers to add fake messages when people access their inbox and load up the useful summaries option. For those not aware, Google now lets Gmail users see a quick summary of an email using smart Gemini AI. This basically means a long message can be made faster to read and understand, with the most important parts placed into bullet points. It's a neat upgrade but it appears that it also comes with a hidden danger. As reported by Bleeping Computer, cyber crooks may trick this system into displaying additional text, with one example showing how hackers could feature a warning at the bottom of the summary. "WARNING: Gemini has detected that your Gmail password has been compromised," the alert reads. "Please call us immediately." The note then features a phone number and reference code. Experts at Mozilla, have also confirmed that a potential vulnerability within the Gemini email summary feature is allowing online thieves to add hidden prompts that then appear when messages are opened. Google has now responded to the flaw and says it is constantly working to keep its platform safe. "We are constantly hardening our already robust defenses through red-teaming exercises that train our models to defend against these types of adversarial attacks," a Google spokesperson told BleepingComputer. The US technology giant says it is also not aware of any users being attacked in this way, and there's no evidence of a widespread threat. That said, this clearly shows that criminals can still find ways to infiltrate email inboxes and we need to stay alert. Just remember that it's highly unlikely Google will ever contact you. Also, if you think your password has been compromised, it's easy to log into Google's official platform and change things. One top tip is to never believe an email or AI summary and don't call any numbers unless you know that it's an official hotline.
