This Google Chrome alternative is the most exciting Android browser I’ve used all year

It’s usually difficult to get excited about a new Android browser. Unlike the launcher space, which includes a puzzle piece for almost every conceivable niche, browsers are mostly limited to two major schools of thought: you can go with a browser based on Firefox’s underpinnings, or one based on Chromium, the underlying technology that powers Google Chrome.

Since these platforms on which browsers are built are largely immutable, any new browser release must innovate in other core areas that matter — aesthetics, usability, and customizability.

I recently stumbled across a new Android browser that accomplishes all three, and then some. And when I say that Solipsism Browser excites me like a kid on Christmas morning, it certainly makes the browser it’s based on, and its closest rival, look and feel decidedly drab.

What makes Solipsism so unique

So, what is Solipsism Browser? It’s a third-party open-source browser based on Chromium, but it offers so much more than Google Chrome ever could. I should mention that it’s by no means a mature product — it launched just over three months ago and has some big plans — but the shine it exudes is testament to just how polished it already is.

Given that it’s a Chromium-based browser, you might expect it to lack several creature comforts and customization options akin to Google’s browser, but that isn’t the case. The suite of tweaks on tap is not unlike Firefox, while it loses none of the performance that makes Chrome feel so zippy on Android.

The first feature you’ll likely notice is my favorite — the side-rail. Instead of an option for a top or bottom bar, Solipsism places browser controls on the right- or left-hand side of the screen. This certainly takes some getting used to, but its benefits are clear. Pertinent browser controls — Back, Forward, Home, Favorites, and the overflow menu — are within thumb’s reach without necessitating a change of grip. I can use my heavy Galaxy S24 FE one-handed and still easily hit back or return home. While bottom bars make these controls more accessible, Solipsism’s solution is far easier to use.

The address bar sits just above these buttons and is also easy to reach, albeit not where one might expect it. The first time I loaded Solipsism Browser, it did take me a few seconds to locate the URL input field. Notably, the layout here can be tweaked as desired, so if you aren’t a fan of the refresh button all the way at the top of the screen, you can move it. Want to kill ads or annoying website furniture? You can pin the “Block element” button to the rail, too. Since it runs along the screen’s longer edge, there’s more space for additional controls.

Of course, if you use a tablet or a foldable phone, the side-rail solution offers even more advantages. These short, wide-screened devices benefit from using some of that horizontal space for a traditional navigation bar. This means there’s more room for web pages on screen.

A browser built for exploration and customization

Solipsism is very much a browser that rewards exploration. Its homepage supports custom HTML and CSS, allowing users to showcase their own creations on browser startup. If you aren’t too pioneering, it also lets you load a “Sanitized static HTML” page or a simple site URL. Even the basic homepage layout offers sliders and options to adjust the size and opacity of items.

Beyond the aesthetic options, Solipsism has remedied many of the problems I have with Chrome in particular and Chromium-based browsers at large. It includes a built-in uBlock Origin-backed adblocker that swats undesirable content aside using its own blocklists, but the browser also makes it simple to add additional filters.

Solipsism even includes a built-in Malware Scanner — something that I’ve never seen baked into an Android browser before. Would I need it? Perhaps. I do tend to grab apps from places that might spike Google’s blood pressure, but I do feel that it’s a wonderful last line of defense for general Chrome users.

Then there’s the myriad other features that are very easy to mouse over. Controls over haptics and audio, native userscript support to alter or enhance default website functionality, a suite of privacy options that allow me to fine-tune how the browser treats my cache, cookies, other information, and sessions, and per-website site permissions. It’s truly remarkable just how stuffed full of features this browser is.

Solipsism bests Chrome. What about Firefox?

Granted, there are some notable shortcomings. One of the reasons I favor Firefox as my first-party browser is its extension support. While some Chromium-based Android browsers play nice with add-ons, Solipsism doesn’t. This isn’t a game-breaker, though. Many extension features, at least those that alter website behavior, can be implemented via user scripts. Regardless, this is at least one area where Solipsism comes up short. But, again, that’s a small blemish on what is a bright, polished piece of software.

Then there is the tiny issue of where the address bar input field appears. Yes, the bar itself sits on one side of the screen, but the field opens at the top of the browser window. To input my desired URL, I need to employ my second hand or change grip. This negates the one-handed benefits the side rail offers. It’s an issue I had with Chrome’s initial bottom bar relocation, and it’s a particularly annoying issue with Solipsism, too. I do hope the developer can find a way around it. There may be an option to adjust this in the settings, but I certainly couldn’t find it.

As I mentioned, Solipsism is a third-party browser that you won’t find lurking on the Google Play Store. While many will see this as another shortcoming — you will need to use F-Droid or set up Obtanium to keep it reliably updated from GitHub — it’s the perfect solution if you want to shed the shackles of Google.

Notably, while Solipsism currently uses Chromium as its base, the developer has designs on a version based on Servo, an open browser engine maintained by the Linux Foundation. It’s an ambitious plan, and it’ll be worth monitoring how that change might affect Solipsism’s underlying performance or feature set.

The Chrome alternative you’ve been waiting for?

For now, though, and despite its minor issues, I think it’s safe to say that Solipsism is the best new Android browser on the market, and my favorite I’ve used all year.

There’s lots to like. It’s based on Chromium, with Chrome compatibility toggles to ensure seamless web use; it packs a broad range of tweaks and customizations; that side-rail design makes so much practical sense; and additional features like built-in ad blocking and a malware scanner showcase just how seriously it takes user security. The negatives are few and far between, and I genuinely have to nitpick to find any that are worth mentioning.

So, as a Firefox user, is Solipsism about to replace it as my preferred Android browser today? It could, but I’m not ready to ditch my current workflow. However, Google Chrome certainly needs to watch its back.