~ Auto Buzz ~: Chromium-Based Kiwi Browser Packs Night Mode, Ad Blocker

There are a number of unique browser projects that fork off from Google’s Chromium project, and one of them is Kiwi Browser, which sets itself apart with a built-in dark theme called “Night Mode” and an ad blocker that not only blocks normal ads but also protects your device from resource-heavy cryptocurrency-mining scripts hidden on web pages. Being based on the Chromium project with some cut features and slimmed-down code compared to Chrome, users will find it to be a good bit faster and lighter to run than Google’s option, at the cost of a number of creature comforts such as your synced passwords and forms from Google’s Autofill API.

Kiwi Browser sports a number of features meant to provide a faster, cleaner browsing experience. You can still save your passwords, payment info and other bits as needed, and even sync them to Google’s cloud between instances of the app. You cannot, however, import that information from Chrome. Chrome Sync is also missing, and there’s no desktop version of Kiwi. This means, of course, that you won’t be able to synchronize sessions between desktop and mobile in any way. The app blocks ads automatically and prevents crypto-mining scripts from running. It also blocks certain pop-ups based on context and automatically accepts the GDPR compliance popups that have been cropping up all over the web. The Night Mode, meanwhile, darkens the UI and most websites to make it easier on your eyes at night, or to provide more contrast for easier reading.

The large number of browsers in the Play Store can be a bit overwhelming, and many run on the same core Webkit software. Chromium-based browsers are not exactly uncommon, and speed-focused or feature-laden alternatives like Dolphin Browser and Opera are fairly common. This means that a browser really has to be special in order to be worth most users’ time, and Kiwi is quite so. If you normally tend toward Chrome, but are frustrated with lag, plugins and scripts running without your permission and annoying pop-ups, Kiwi may be worth a try. As a caveat, if you’re deeply invested in the Google ecosystem, you’ll find a few missing features.

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