Kiwi Browser

LoneWolf · Nov 17, 2018

Trying this out on my Android phone, any good or bad experiences out there?

roger_m · Nov 17, 2018

This is the first I've heard of it. But there is a positive review at BGR and the developer is taking the time to respond to feedback on the Play Store, which is good.
https://bgr.com/2018/06/23/android-vs-iphone-features-apps-kiwi-web-browser/

guest · Apr 16, 2019

Kiwi Browser’s latest update brings Google Chrome Extensions to Android
April 15, 2019
https://www.xda-developers.com/kiwi-browser-google-chrome-extensions-android/

[...] Google’s official Chromium builds for Android don’t support Google Chrome extensions. That hasn’t stopped XDA Senior Member arnaud42, the developer of Kiwi Browser, from adding Chrome extension support in the latest version of his browser.

Now, the browser’s latest update adds support for importing any Google Chrome extension that doesn’t rely on x86 binary code. That means that not every extension out there will work, but many existing Chrome extensions should work just fine.
Kiwi is now the second Chromium-based browser to support extensions built for desktop Chrome after Yandex Browser added support last year.
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SouthPark · Apr 18, 2019

Runs well on my ancient Android Kit-Kat phone, has integrated ad blocking and a fair amount of privacy controls too. I haven't tried the extensions feature yet.

guest · Apr 19, 2020

Kiwi Browser goes open source, allowing other Chromium-based browsers to add Extensions
April 18, 2020
https://www.xda-developers.com/kiwi-browser-open-source/

Most Chromium-based web browsers offer a handful of additional features not found in Google Chrome, but there are some that radically change the experience. Kiwi Browser by XDA Senior Member arnaud42 is one such web browser, and for the browser’s second anniversary, the developer has fully open-sourced the web browser and all its features.

Back in 2018, arnaud42 released the first version of his Chromium-based web browser. When we first covered the project several months later, we were impressed by the feature-set it offered at the time, which pales in comparison to what the browser offers today. It had features like a built-in content blocker, dark mode, background video playback, AMP skipper, and more.
Maintaining such an ambitious project has proven challenging for the lone developer.

Rather than let the project go to waste, arnaud42 has decided to release the source code for Kiwi Browser on GitHub. He says that “everything is released, including extensions code” with “no strings attached” (the browser is licensed under the BSD 3-Clause.)
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He states that in the last few weeks, he worked with other browser developers to help them integrate some of Kiwi’s functionality, so we may hear some good news from other web browsers on Android soon.
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Kiwi Browser Source Code on GitHub ||| XDA Forum Thread

roen · Apr 28, 2020

Kiwi sounds really interesting. I currently use Bromite on Android, but going to give Kiwi a spin

guest · Sep 14, 2020

Kiwi Browser shows signs of life, teases team-up with fellow Chromium browser in future
Kiwi's first release in almost a year is still based on Chrome 77
September 14, 2020
https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/...am-up-with-fellow-chromium-browser-in-future/

Kiwi Browser is based on the same underlying code that powers Chrome, but it has its own unique features, including being one of the few mobile browsers to support desktop extensions on Android. The project hasn't seen many public-facing changes in the last year, but now a new release is coming down the pike.

New commits started appearing on the project's Github page on August 31, and have continued at a steady pace. Founder Arnaud Granal confirmed that the new test builds will likely roll out to more users shortly.
Following the distressing news about Mozilla and the future of Firefox, many users began looking for alternatives like Kiwi.
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mraeryceos · Sep 15, 2020

It hasn't had a new release since last year. I've tried to see what the dev is up to, but haven't found any news.

SouthPark · Sep 15, 2020

I switched to Bromite this summer on my old 5.1 tablet and cheap 8.1 phone. It runs great and blocks most ads. Kiwi is still on Chromium 77? I think I'll pass.

guest · Oct 5, 2020

Kiwi Browser adds experimental support for Opera desktop extensions
October 5, 2020
https://www.xda-developers.com/kiwi-browser-adds-experimental-support-opera-desktop-extensions/

While there are a variety of Chromium-based browsers on the Google Play Store, XDA Senior Member arnaud42‘s Kiwi Browser is in a league of its own. It was one of the first Chromium-based browsers for Android that offered support for Chrome extensions, and it packs in a ton of additional features that you won’t find on other Chrome alternatives. But the best part about the browser is that it’s completely open-source, which allows other Chromium-based browsers to bring some of its features to their users.

For instance, we recently learned that at least three Chromium-based browsers might be adding support for Chrome extensions thanks to the Kiwi Browser.
The latest update for Kiwi Browser (version Git200930) has started rolling out to users via the Google Play Store [...]
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As you can see in the attached screenshots, with the latest version of the Kiwi Browser, you can now install a few Opera desktop extensions on your Android device. To do so, you can navigate to the Opera addons page on the browser and download the extension of your choice.
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Kiwi Browser - Fast & Quiet (Google Play / APK Mirror)

Brummelchen · Oct 6, 2020

omg why tf opera? The extension base of opera is terrible small and outdated. So the most of them won't work any longer on any current chromium fork.

guest · Jul 28, 2021

Android's Kiwi Browser will follow Chromium releases more closely soon
July 28, 2021
https://www.ghacks.net/2021/07/28/a...l-follow-chromium-releases-more-closely-soon/

Kiwi Browser is a third-party Chromium-based web browser for Google's Android operating system that packs a lot of features. Probably the most noteworthy is the browser's support for Chrome extensions; while not all extensions will install on Android, it is one of the few browsers that is based on Chromium that supports extensions on Android.
Kiwi browser comes with an integrated ad-blocker and some other features, but it is extensions support that may appeal the most to users.

The developer of Kiwi Browser has been working on Kiwi Next for some time now to address the issue and make Kiwi Browser follow Chromium releases closely.
Kiwi Next uses automation tools and scripting to keep up with Chromium's 4-week release cycle.
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Closing Words
It is almost impossible for a single-browser project to follow a 6-week release cycle. The change to a 4-week release cycle puts even more pressure on developers, considering that security updates, stability fixes and other bug fixes are part of these updates.

The Kiwi Browser developer plans to use automation to speed up development. If this works out, Kiwi Browser will see more frequent releases, which will make it more secure, stable and compatible. Add the extra features, especially extensions support, and you could see the browser reach new heights in the coming years.
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(via XDA Developers)
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SouthPark · Jul 31, 2021

I recently switched back to the new Kiwi after encountering some bugs in Bromite. After a few minutes of guesswork, I was able to successfully install an extension on Kiwi, in this case one specifically designed for Kiwi Browser.

So far it's running smoothly on both phone and tablet. I've added an ad-blocking DNS under the DoH setting to save data usage and improve on the built-in ad blocker. The torrid pace of updates (about every 2 days) is slightly daunting.

Edit: here is my list of ad-blocking DOH servers: https://github.com/VernonStow/ad-block-dns

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