Sure, they seem similar — and it’s easy to think their only purpose is to transport you to the website of your choice — but all browsers are not created equal. And some actually have a reputation for depleting your battery and being less than kind to your privacy and security than others. We spoke with tech and security experts who explained why this is the one browser you should never use on your phone.
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Google may be king — but that doesn’t mean it is the best option when it comes to your browser.
“If you have an Android phone, or if you're using Google apps like many people, you'll notice they are major battery and processor hogs,” says Rex Freiberger, the CEO of Gadget Review. “Chrome is especially awful at this. Just having one Chrome tab open can siphon battery power, and most people have multiple tabs open in the background.”
Freiberger says he would recommend uninstalling Chrome — “not just because it's a battery hog, but because of its security issues and data harvesting,” he says. “You'd be much better off with a browser like Ecosia. It's built using a lot of the same framework as Chrome, so if you don't want to switch because it's what you're used to, this will help ease you into it. It's much more lightweight, though, and doesn't collect nearly as much data as Google.”
Freiberger says you can also use something like EpicBrowser if security is a concern because it has a built-in VPN and IP masker. “Or, if you want to make a little bit of money on the side, the Brave browser will earn you cryptocurrency for using it,” Freiberger says.
Of course, if you really do love Chrome and have no interest in changing browsers, there are even more ways to make it safer, says Candace Helton, tech expert and operations director at Ringspo.
“Turn on Safe Browsing in Chrome to make sure you're staying away from dangerous sites that may have malware or spyware,” Helton says. “Simply open Chrome and tap the three-dot menu. Choose Settings, then Sync and Google Services, and turn on Safe Browsing. You'll find a list of security features on the screen too, and if you'd like additional protection, you can turn on "Warn you if passwords are exposed in a data breach.’”
