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Looking for a private mobile browser app? Tor has the answer

Tor's Android browser lets you browse the internet without being tracked.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
Sean knows far too much about Marvel, DC and Star Wars, and poured this knowledge into recaps and explainers on CNET. He also worked on breaking news, with a passion for tech, video game and culture.
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Sean Keane
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Webpage requests on a Tor-enabled browser are encrypted multiple times for a journey that detours through three servers.

Tor Project/Screenshot by CNET

Tor Project's own private mobile browser app is now available on Android.

It can be installed via the Google Play store and the file extension for Android can be downloaded directly from Tor's website, VentureBeat reported.

Tor originally stood for The Onion Router and is named for the method it uses to protect information sent over a network. When a Tor-enabled browser makes a request to download a webpage, the request is encrypted multiple times for a journey that detours through three servers known as relays.

"Tor aims to make all users look the same, making it difficult for you to be fingerprinted based on your browser and device information," the company said.

It isn't the first Tor-enabled browser available for Android devices, VentureBeat notes. Orfox uses the same source code and has the Tor Project's approval, but will be wound down in 2019 when the Tor Android brower -- which is currently in alpha -- takes hold.

Tor didn't immediately respond to a request for further comment.

The tech was used in Brave's web browser, which was designed to internet privacy to the next level.