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Kiwi Browser - Android Chrome based browser with extensions support | Better HN

Kiwi Browser - Android Chrome based browser with extensions support (opens in new tab)

(github.com)

73 pointsgoldfix5y ago73 comments

73 comments

gnicholas5y ago

I learned about this from a user of my Chrome extension who was having some issues. Most of the features actually worked out of the box, though the UI isn’t quite right. Very cool that it works this well!

I understand Brave will be adding extension support this year as well.

hncensorsnonpc5y ago

?? Brave already has chrome extension support. I do not get why this is highlighted as something special for chromium based browsers.

gnicholas5y ago

We’re talking about mobile browsers. Even mobile Chrome does not support Chrome extensions.

maple31425y ago

Wow, it used to be closed source before. I am surprised that it eventually went open source.

serf5y ago

a website that showcased software that survived that transition would be entertaining, if it doesn't already exist somewhere.

thereticent5y ago

If you find (or build) anything like that, I'm sure HN would love it. Personally, I'm concerned about my favorite reference manager, Qiqqa, which was open sourced when retired by the company that made it. As far as I can tell, there is 1 (maybe 2) coders maintaining and improving the software and maybe a few people catching and reporting bugs. It seems like a razor's edge, but the most active contributor is doing a great job. It would be interesting to see different projects succeeding and where others stagnated or fell apart.

bibyte5y ago

A very important project because it is one of the two browsers on Android that support extensions (the other one is Firefox Mobile). I didn't know it was closed source.

It had a GitHub repo (https://github.com/kiwibrowser/android) described as "source code used in Kiwi", but it was just a Chromium codebase thrown there without the actual patches.

Glad to see it's open source now however there is no commit history (thus no individual patches) and it's not possible to see which version of Chromium this was forked from.

emayljames5y ago

Yandex mobile does chrome extensions.

bibyte5y ago

Thanks for letting me know. It is good to be aware of alternatives.

notechback5y ago

If you trust yandex enough to allow them to possibly gather all your browsing activity, passwords, ... It's like trusting tencent.

ToniCipriani5y ago

I'm using this simply because it still has the address bar at the bottom.

taborj5y ago

It's interesting to see the different user preferences. For example, I can't stand the address bar at the bottom. But I find folks such as yourself who can't stand it at the top.

Very few browsers I've found let you choose.

solarkraft5y ago

Firefox Preview (why don't they brand it with the awesome code name Fenix?) does.

treebornfrog5y ago

I use brave as my browser on an android mobile and I find that this has the perfect balance.

I hate reaching to the top of my phone to create a new tab.

anotheryou5y ago

coming back with the next firefox on mobile :)

beta already has it, but lost extension support (for now, slowly coming back)

cercatrova5y ago

I've been using this specifically for its extension support, and I'm just waiting until Firefox Preview can get extension support fully as I use Firefox on the desktop and I'd like for them to sync. I looked at other browsers like Brave but I just cannot trust them.

Firefox on mobile has extension support, I am using it right now?

It's gonna be replaced during this year with a complete rewrite.

Extension support is coming, but at the moment only uBlock Origin is available.

The parent meant Firefox preview, the new version of Firefox on android, which only supports ublock origin as of now. Firefox preview will become the main Firefox browser on android as of now.

photon-torpedo5y ago

Not for much longer. Future versions of Firefox Mobile (i.e. what is Firefox Preview now) will, as far as I know, at best have support for the Mozilla "Recommended" extensions, which is only a small fraction (e.g. no Greasemonkey/Tampermonkey).

Eldt5y ago

The new one has very limited support

And you trust instead a closed-source browser which has not been updated in months? Aside from the trust component I suggest you to use an up-to-date browser because of the security vulnerabilities which affect them.

cercatrova5y ago

What are you referring to, Firefox? If not, Kiwi is open source, and I trust Firefox a lot more than Brave.

Why can’t you trust Brave?

Youden5y ago

Brave seems well-intentioned but really dodgy to me. In addition to the other issues that have already been raised, they were initially collecting money on people's behalf without their consent or knowledge [0]. The problem has since been resolved but their handling of it at the time put me off them for good.

[0]: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/prominent-youtuber-claims-bra...

cercatrova5y ago

Replacing ads with their own ads, running a cryptocurrency within the browser. I don't want microtransactions to view sites which I feel like is what Brave is hoping for in the future. I mean, microtransactions are the name of the game in cryptocurrency but doing so for online content is especially egregious.

xnx5y ago

I love Kiwi Browser! If it was able to Save "Webpage, Complete", I'd use it as my mobile daily driver.

londons_explore5y ago

Send a PR... It would probably be easy enough to add...

ta17715y ago

Bromite needs more love from this community!

papermachete5y ago

Beware, the binary .apk's have unreleased patches you can't get from compiling yourself.

photon-torpedo5y ago

On their Github page they say

> This code is up-to-date and is matching the build on the Play Store.

which seems to be in conflict with your statement.

papermachete5y ago

How did they check and verify that?

That sounds shady. Thank you for the warning. How does one determine that?

Also not found on F-droid. Hard pass.

sneak5y ago

F-Droid has the same potential tampering issue: apps there are signed by the F-Droid key, not the developer’s key.

An F-Droid compromise could backdoor every app.

ta17715y ago

Check out Bromite, they have an F-Droid repo that you can add to F-Droid!

Not affiliated with Bromite, just cycling accounts, can point toward my last one if anyone's concerned about this acct's greenness.

NikolaeVarius5y ago

Evidence

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse