You should have heard about the Tor browser for Personal Computers if you are a privacy-conscious user. Tor (The Onion Router) is a free program that aims to secure a user’s online privacy. It routes Internet traffic across a network of relays, concealing the user’s location and Internet activity from anyone attempting to track such data. It utilizes numerous layers of encryption for Internet data to boost its security (like an onion). Orfox Tor Browser is a fantastic software for protecting your online anonymity while you browse the web.
Tor is a sophisticated piece of software for desktop PCs, providing a full-featured Firefox-based browser for surfing the web. The Tor browser is a constantly updated piece of software. Tor, on the other hand, did not have much to offer on Android until lately. Orweb was the Android version of the Tor browser, and it was a very basic app that used Google’s WebView to render Web content. Orweb was capable of doing its job well, but its feature set was severely constrained.
To address Orweb’s restrictions, the project’s creators concentrated on developing a completely new project based on the Tor browser and Firefox source code. Orfox, a browser that appears and acts like Firefox but uses Tor Networking in the background, is the outcome.
check Also : Best Keyboard Apps that Makes Keyboard Bigger on Android
Features of Orfox Tor Browser
- To protect sensitive information from monitoring, proxies Internet traffic through a dedicated relay network.
- HTTPS Everywhere is a built-in add-on. This ensures that the more secure HTTPS protocol is utilized while communicating over the Internet.
- NoScript is a built-in add-on. This is an add-on that prevents websites from executing Java/JavaScript/Flash code.
- The browser is based on Firefox. Orfox is updated based on the most recent (but not always the most recent) version of Firefox.
- Bookmark support is limited to tabbed browsing.
- The App does not require Contacts, Camera, Microphone, Location, or NFC permissions.
Installation
- Install Orbot on your computer.
Orbot is available on the Play Store and F-Droid. On the App launcher, Orbot App will have an icon with a configuration interface. There is no need to configure anything because Orfox will start and connect to Orbot on its own. - Install Orfox on your computer.
Orfox is also available on F-Droid and the Play Store. Open the Orfox App from the launcher after it has been installed. Orbot should be operating and notification should show in Android’s Notification Area. - Verify the connection.
Orfox includes a shortcut to the Tor Project’s website, which can be used to check if your Tor connection is up and running. When you initially open the browser, the shortcut displays on the Top Sites tab. Click the shortcut and wait for the result. You can browse the Internet anonymously if the Tor connection test is successful.
Notes
- If Orfox is unable to open webpages, even when connected to a WiFi network or mobile data, your Internet Provider is most likely blocking Tor connections. You can try to get around this restriction by activating Bridges in the Orbot App and clicking the Orbot notification in the Android Notification Area.
- A new window will open after you enable the Use Bridges switch. Select each option from top to bottom until the App indicates that the Bridge configuration is satisfactory.
- When using the Tor Network, download and upload rates should be slower because Internet communication is proxied over numerous peers.
- Orfox and Orbot are both free and open-source programs. If you enjoy these apps, you might want to consider making a donation to the makers.
