In this video I take you through Onion browser, a Tor powered web browser for iOS recommended by Tor Project. The Onion Browser is free and open-source and h. There are now many Tor Browsers on the iOS App Store, some are clones/forks of the open source Onion Browser. To address your release cycle question, iOS apps currently have a two week review period. On top of that a new tor version would have to be incorporated into the app and tested, so it will be three weeks to release.
Anonymous Browser Private Web is the best FREE Onion Browser featuring an exclusive TOR powered browser with the additional security of VPN included optionally. TOR or The Onion Router was the first onion browser that allowed users to access the dark web. But you know the best part? It is also available to use for Apple devices including iPhones and Macbooks! Download TOR for iPhone here. We recommend an iOS app called Onion Browser, which is open source, uses Tor routing, and is developed by someone who works closely with the Tor Project. However, Apple requires browsers on iOS to use something called Webkit, which prevents Onion Browser from having the same privacy protections as Tor Browser. Learn more about Onion Browser.
In this tutorial we're going to talk about the best practices to browse the web securely on iOS using Onion Browser Release 2.6 and the Tor network. Onion Browser for iOS is a free, open-source web browser app developed originally by Mike Tigas, with Release 2.6 as a collaboration with the Guardian Project. Onion Browser has Tor built-in and uses Tor to protect your web activity.
You can also watch the Onion Browser Video Tutorial on YouTube.
Who is this Tutorial designed for?
A few questions for you:
- Is your internet content being blocked?
- Are you concerned about your privacy while browsing the web?
- Do you want to protect your data from aggressive advertisers?
If any of these are true, this tutorial is for you!
Don't have an iOS device?
Try Orbot, the Tor connection for Android devices developed by the Guardian Project. Orbot allows you to route the apps on your phone through Tor.
You may also try the Tor Browser for Android, the official Tor browser for Android developed by the Tor Project team.
First, what exactly is the Tor network?
The Tor network is a collection of servers, run by volunteers, that allows users to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. Tor's users employ this network by connecting to their favorite services through a series of virtual tunnels rather than making a direct connection, thus allowing both organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.
Here's how Tor works: When you connect to the internet using Tor, a circuit is created. A circuit is a group of 3 different Tor relays located in different parts of the world that work together with encryption to obfuscate your connection to websites and web services, making it hard for third parties to trace the activity back to you.
Onion Browser, with Tor, is an important application for iOS users
Why? Because when you use Onion Browser
- All your browsing is private, since your traffic is encrypted through the Tor network
- No one can see your activities, save your history, or influence your browsing
- And there is no trace left behind since tabs don't hang around. They close when you're done, so every search is new
How is the Onion Browser different from other browsers for iOS?
Security and privacy require some compromises, and you should be aware that there are some limitations when using the Onion Browser:
- Apple requires all web browser apps to use the same core web rendering engine. Due to this limitation, we are unable to compile and include our own web engine, based on Firefox Gecko, as with Tor Browser for desktop and Android
- Onion Browser only tunnels traffic within the Onion Browser app. If you are using a smartphone be aware that information outside of Onion Browser is not protected
- Sometimes your bandwidth speeds will be reduced, depending on the relays you are connecting to
- Websites that flag Tor as suspicious will show a CAPTCHA loop and you won't be able to access them
- Certain features of many websites may be disabled or work poorly on Onion Browser, especially at the higher security levels
Onboarding
After downloading Onion Browser from the App Store, we'll give you a smooth start to using the app. After the initial loading screen, you'll be invited to connect to Tor before you start browsing. Be advised: Onion Browser always needs to connect to Tor before you browse. There's no operational mode that doesn't use Tor.
There are two options here: connecting directly to Tor, as most users do, or connecting via a special 'bridge'. This latter option requires configuration, and we'll discuss it in a separate section of this tutorial. Select 'Connect to Tor' and the app will let you know when it is ready.
Click on ' Next' to set up your security level.
There are three levels of security you can select, according to your needs. For many users, Level 2 is the best choice to start. Click on 'Learn More' to see more details about each option. Tap 'Start Browsing' to begin using Onion Browser.
The Onion Browser Home Page
On the home page of Onion Browser you'll see a couple of website suggestions, as well as more information about the app. We'd welcome your support for our work. Use the Donate Link to see the ways you can contribute with a donation. You can also subscribe to the Tor Newsletter to get updates about security and privacy on the Internet from the Tor team.
On the home page, in the top navigation bar, you'll see there are two icons you don't find in other browsers, a Shield on the top left side and an Onion on the top right side.
We'll discuss these in a bit. The Onion Browser also includes features you'll recognize like Bookmarks, Share, New Tab, Switch Tabs, and Accessing Settings. These are common in other browsers and work in the same manner here.
Visiting websites
When you visit websites, Onion Browser will give you additional information about the security and nature of your connection.
- HTTPS websites will show a green lock on the right side of the URL bar, tap on it to verify the Certificate Information.
- Tap on the Shield icon to see your current security level
- Tap on the Onion icon to see the Tor circuit you are using, sometimes your current circuit will be too slow or it will not work properly, for those cases use the 'New Circuit' button and you will be automatically connected to a new one.
On this drop-down menu, you will also find the option to connect to Tor using bridges. Please remember that you should always try to connect to Tor without using bridges and only use them if that fails. We'll talk more about bridges later.
- The Share icon allows you to send a link to the website you are looking at using other apps in your device. It also allows you to open the link using Safari if the site is not opening properly using Tor. This will be out of the Tor network and is not safe
- The same applies to open images and links with Safari. But you can also open links safely on a new tab, and navigate them the same way you will do it on any other browser
If your screen times out or you send the browser to the background all your current tabs will disappear when you return to your browser, this is a security feature that can be changed in your settings
Downloading content is easiest with the Share icon. Display your content (such as a PDF-formatted article) in a tab, then tap the Share icon. Select ‘Save to Files', then on the next screen, choose the desired locations ('Downloads' folder is shown here). Tap ‘Save' and the content will be saved in the Downloads folder for later use or further sharing.
Security & Connectivity
Bridges
There's a special way to connect to the Tor network, designed for users in the most restrictive geographies or users personally at risk of invasive monitoring. Bridges are like special on-ramps for Tor that are more aggressive about defeating monitoring. That comes at a cost in performance, though. We like to reserve these pathways for most impacted users, so please use them sparingly.
If you know bad actors are monitoring Tor usage in your geography, you'll want to configure a bridge immediately when you first open Onion Browser. You can do that right from the first onboarding screen, before connecting to Tor
Whether you configure your bridge immediately or after you've been using Onion Browser for a while, you need to be careful how you get your bridge information. You have several options. See the Bridge Configuration settings (accessed during on-boarding as above or by tapping on the Onion icon when viewing a website and then tapping ‘Bridge Configuration').
Your first option should be the list of bridges using the so-called Obfs4 technology, a list already built into Onion Browser. Select the 'Built-in Obfs4' option and Onion Browser will instruct Tor to use that selection of bridges as it attempts to connect. Tap 'connect'.
Unfortunately the bridges on that list can become crowded and connection may fail here, too. If you know a trustworthy person who uses a bridge to connect to Tor, your second option is to have your friend help you by sending you a bridge QRCode your device can scan and automatically configure to use that bridge. Or, less securely, you can copy/paste a bridge identifier that your friend sends you via another service (messaging, for example). To use this option, tap 'Custom Bridges', and then either scan the provided QRCode or paste your provided bridge into the text area shown, then tap 'Connect'.
If these options fail, you can get access to a fresh selection of Obfs4 bridges using the service called MOAT to get up-to-date information in real-time. This option works in a way that does not expose itself to suspicion. To use this option, select 'Built-in Meek/Azure' and tap 'connect'.
Last, the Tor Project itself also maintains a list of bridges. For this option, tap ‘Custom Bridges', then ‘Request Bridges from torproject.org' and follow the instructions there. You'll get a bridge identifier, and you'll paste it into the text area, same as you would if a friend provided it to you. After pasting, tap 'connect'. Note that this method of contacting the Tor Project to get a bridge identifier is an action that itself might be blocked.
Again, we want to steer you away from using bridges. The degradation of the user experience can be extreme and please remember that there are people who actually require this capability to get any connection at all. As capacity is limited, we want to give those people the first opportunity.
BioMetric Authentication
You can place a second level of access security on Onion Browser by using its authentication option. You might prefer this option if you believe you face a physical security threat, if there is a chance your device might get stolen or if your device might be otherwise misused by people you don't trust.
First, you need to set up your iOS device to require security at login via a 6-digit numeric Passcode, FaceID or TouchID. Use the iOS Settings app. Select and configure the method you prefer. If you've already done that, there's no need to change. Be aware that all manipulations of our authentication settings here will require you to enter your password.
Now tap the Onion Browser settings icon to get to the Settings page. You'll see a selection option for 'Lock App with TouchID/FaceID or Device Passcode'. Select that option to enable it and restart Onion Browser. On your next use, Onion Browser will require your ID (in whatever form you've requested) before it will start up.
Useful Tips
Dark Mode
The Onion Browser has a built-in Dark Mode that allows it to comply with the system setting for the 'dark' color scheme. To set Dark Mode, visit the iOS Settings application and tap Display & Brightness. Select your appearance here and Onion Browser will comply with this setting.
Tab Security - Hide Web Pages When Switching Apps
Hiding web pages when switching apps is a feature required by people who are in danger of having their device removed from their person by other bad actors. If that happens, the contents of their open tabs can be seen and perhaps screen-shotted by those bad actors and used in prosecution. While hiding web pages sounds great at first, it means you lose your browsing 'state' when switching back to Onion Browser later. Frankly, it is terribly inconvenient for most users. So, there are lesser options, too. From the Onion Browser Settings page, tap 'Tab Security'
Then select from:
Forget in Background
Happens when you tap the HOME button, otherwise switch apps, or the display times-out and the login screen is presented.
Forget at Shutdown
Happens only when user actually closes the app or shuts down the device
Remember Tabs
Tabs are NOT hidden; this setting is also called 'Startup in last state' and it's the opposite of 'remove web pages when switching apps' because it means your browsing state is saved between sessions. For many, this is a tremendous time-saver, but users concerned about their device being taken from them should not enable this feature.
NOTE: Your bookmarks are also an indication of your browsing interests. Creating many bookmarks on the device leaves a certain 'fingerprint' about your browsing intentions in the same way open tabs indicate what's actually being used. See the Nextcloud Bookmarks feature as a way to resolve this problem.
Onion Browser As Your Default System Browser
There are a lot of ways you can acquire a link to web content and resources. Many applications, when seeing a link, will offer the option to open that link in the web browser. On iOS, Safari is the system browser, registered to open links, and iOS doesn't usually allow other browsers to have that privilege. Safari doesn't use Tor, so it's not safe to open links that way. We can't make Onion Browser the 'system browser', but there is a way to disable Safari and allow Onion Browser to open your links. Follow these steps:
Open the iOS Settings app. Tap 'Screen Time' (if it's your first time using this feature, several help screens will follow).
Tap 'Content & Privacy Restrictions' to enable it. Tap 'Allowed Apps'. Tap 'Safari' to disable it. This way, Safari won't be opened when links are clicked in any app starting with http:// or https://. OnionBrowser can now open the links safely.
NextCloud Bookmarks
Bookmarks make it easy to access frequently-desired content as well as to preserve access to infrequently-visited, but necessary, sites. However, bookmarks can also represent intent or interest and, for those in danger of losing their device to bad actors, this can be an issue.
If you use NextCloud, you can manage your Onion Browser bookmarks on your other devices and synchronize them with Onion Browser. Here's how:
Tap the Bookmarks icon, then tap ‘Sync with Nextcloud'.Enter the link for your Nextcloud server along with your username and password, then tap ‘Sync Bookmarks'.
If you're not a Nextcloud user and this sounds interesting, find more about NextCloud at nextcloud.com.
Some Failure Modes and How to Recover
Let's talk about ways in which Onion Browser - and the mountain of software and Internet network architecture behind it - can let you down. Yes, it DOES happen. Sometimes your network just doesn't have the performance and responsiveness it requires. Sometimes your network is under heavy surveillance. Sometimes the Tor network is under direct attack by bad actors. Let's look at a few of the failures you might experience and see what you can do to mitigate at least some of the impacts. We regret that this list is not complete.
On Start-up
What if I have no network connection of any kind and I don't realize it? What if my network connection is very slow? What if Tor is blocked in my country?
First, if you know - via friends or trusted information sources - that Tor is blocked in your country, you'll need configure access via a bridge on your very first startup. Please revisit the prior discussion on how to properly configure Tor bridge access. Please remember, bridges tend to degrade the user experience in a number of ways. They're a 'last resort'.
If you're not connected to a local or wide-area network (and don't realize it) or if your connection is very poor (low-bandwidth), or if Tor is blocked in your country, Onion Browser won't be able to start. Unfortunately, there's no safe way to automatically distinguish between these different conditions. First, try to verify that the device itself has a connection or move to another location & network. Please remember, Tor can be slow to start up - especially on your first use - even under the best circumstances because it has to discover its network of nodes (at least partly) before it can build circuits. This does take a little patience.
On Restart
What if Tor fails to start or restart properly within Onion Browser (can this happen, for example, when switching tabs)?
If Tor fails on start/restart, Onion Browser assumes that it's because the Tor nodes available from your location are blocked. Onion Browser will urge you to configure bridges. You won't be able to proceed, though. You actually need to stop Onion Browser (switch to another app, or kill the app by swiping it out of iOS' app-cards overview) and then start it again.
If you experience a lot of this type of failure, you may want to consider the Onion Browser setting that allows you to 'Remember Tabs' (also called 'start up in last state'). That's available using 'Settings -> Tab Security -> Remember Tabs'.
After A Heavy-Use Session
There's a lot going on within Onion Browser and sometimes after a lot of use (or maybe due to a lot of tabs open for a long time) Onion Browser will run out of working memory on the device. In this case, iOS will probably kill the app by itself (though you may have to swipe it away from the app-cards overview under certain circumstances). When you start it again, it will be a fresh start.
This is another good time to remember, if your situation allows it, use the 'Remember Tabs' feature.
Failures Under Regular Use
You may experience using Onion Browser in a normal way, seemingly fine, and then when tapping a link or visiting a new site nothing seems to happen. It's hard to know if the link or site is the problem, or if Onion Browser or Tor is the problem.
You can check if Tor is still running by creating a new tab and visiting, for example, DuckDuckGo.com. If Tor really has failed, you should leave the app and enter back after a few seconds (that is, switch to another app, then return). That action should restart Tor. If that fails to help, go to iOS' app-cards overview, swipe-away Onion Browser and start it again.
If the new tab opening to DuckDuckGo.com does work, then Tor is still operating and that's a good indicator that the link or website you visited contains some JavaScript Onion Browser thinks is unsafe.
Onion Browser has a pop-up and ad blocker integrated. These, unfortunately, might interfere with the web page in a way that makes it break. These features cannot be switched off, currently.
Lastly, failure can happen when the Security Level currently set for the page is denying the website from taking certain actions. Loading media is one such action, though not every time. If you're sure leaking your browsing information to somebody listening on your connection isn't a problem, you might want to lower the security level to 'Bronze', at least for that site.
What Are These 'Circuits' You Talk About?
The circuit is the path your communications take through the Tor network (whose nodes exist in many countries in the world). Normally, you don't need to take specific care regarding the circuit, because that's Tor's business. However, depending on the 'exit node' Tor has chosen, you might see a website localized wrongly or a website that mistakes you for a hostile due to your country-of-origin (which Tor has set). In those cases you can request a new circuit. It's easy, right there on the circuit display.
The circuit display could also hint to the reason of a slow connection. If you're routed around the world, that might be the problem. However, Tor typically tries to avoid these situations automatically and chooses circuits with hops near you.
Custom Site Settings
Now that we've introduced 'Security Levels' in the new Onion Browser, there's much less need to store custom settings for individual websites. That's a good thing because these settings are hard to remember once customized. For example, did you remove all restrictions from a website because you were once on a less restricted network? Well, when you're back on your surveilled network, it's hard to remember that you customized just that one site. That can lead to an unplanned exposure.
We hope you like the new 'Security Levels' mechanism - it's much easier to monitor how much risk you're exposed to using this mechanism. Enjoy it!
Support
Work on Onion Browser during 2019 and through mid-2020 was funded by the Open Technology Fund and sponsored by the Guardian Project. Mike Tigas was development architect, Benjamin Erhart was lead developer. OkThanks provided user-centered design services.
To contribute to the long-term maintenance of Onion Browser, please visit the donation page.
Deep Web Browsers are browsers which let you access the Deep web. The Deep Web, as the name suggests is the 'deeper' part of the Internet.
Something that you can't access with your Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or any other day-to-day browsers and that's exactly where the Deep Web Browser comes to your rescue.
So here we list the top 10 Deep Web Browsers, their features and why they are the best weapons in your arsenal when you're about to access the Deep web.
Why do you Need Deep Web Browsers?
They let you access the Deep Web, that's the surface-level answer, but what makes them special, why can't you use the general browsers to do the same? That's what this section is about.
Accessing the Hidden Links
The Deep Web isn't hosted on the 'World Wide Web' (WWW), so you can't access it with the general browsers because they don't recognize the .onion or can't grant you access the opposites.
Neither are these links made available on the search engines for you to just click on them and land over there.
While the Deep Web Browsers are crafted specifically to facilitate the access of those onion links, and at the same time also generally let you browse the clearnet.
Privacy
The Deep Web is generally paired up with content that's 'illicit' if not illegal at best, even though it's not always true, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want others peeking over your search history, or Identity on the Deep Web, would you?
It's not just about search history, cookies or activities from your end, even others (including websites and independently interested 'third-parties') trace and track your location, activities and other data.
No information is sent from the deep web browsers to the websites you browse, which isn't the case with the general browsers we use.
So basically, deep web browsers are specifically armed in such a way that your identity is protected and is kept anonymous, so you always have a cloak over you while you walk through the slimy streets of the Deep web.
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Top 10 Deep Web Browsers
Here are the Top 10 Deep Web Browsers you can employ to your service right now and start surfing the waves towards the Deeper part of the web.
We've explained what makes these browsers 'the best', and also note that this isn't a 'ranking chart', so the #1 browser doesn't mean it's the 'best', while the #10 doesn't indicate it being the 'last option' either.
TOR (The Onion Router)
Website:https://www.torproject.org
Even though it's not a 'ranking chart' as I said earlier, TOR is literally 'the best deep web browser' you'll ever cross paths with.
TOR is an Open-Source project that was broken out of its eggshell to protect 'Internet freedom' (which is somewhat of rarity these days!)
TOR keeps our identity private by using a 'network or relays' which is run by volunteers all across the globe. They bounce our internet traffic off via various nodes which if translated to plain English, means your identity is safe with TOR.
It allows for users to manually select their security levels and trade it for the level of 'user-interface' they get. Disabling images and scripts offers more security, and vice-versa. It even allows users to create new identities, or just opt for a new circuit.
Moreover, you get to see which countries exactly your network is being routed through. TOR is also extremely well-managed and updated very frequently which is a reassuring thought.
Tor Browser for Android
Download:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.torproject.torbrowser
You may need one of the best Deep Web browsers for Access the Deep web even if you're not on a PC or a laptop and we totally understand that.
I personally used Orbot to access the Deep Web on Android devices earlier. But then came the Tor Browser which wasn't very stable, and required Orbot in addition to the Tor browser in order to function.
This new Tor browser (Android) releases however are independent apps from Tor, which don't require Orbot to route traffic through the onion network. Alike the Computer version, it too blocks ads and fingerprinting, allows access to .onion sites and makes overall browsing a lot more anonymous.
Note that you also can use Orbot however the official Tor browser is a lot more anonymous and secure. Alike Tor browser, Orbot for Android too passes the traffic via various nodes before connecting to a user. And obviously alike most other options on this list, Tor (both for Desktop and Android) is absolutely free to download and use.
Whonix
Website:https://www.whonix.org/
Whonix is an advanced deep web browser which is armed to the teeth to protect you against common web-attacks or privacy threats.
It uses the TOR network to provide us with online anonymity, and a deeper layer or protection is its heavily encrypted and modified debian base which is run inside a number of virtual machines; acting as our guardian angle against malware and IP address leaks!
Whonix takes pride in being an isolated solution for the deep web, at the same time being able to be run inside a Virtual machine and with mandated TOR routing.
SubGraph OS
Website:https://subgraph.com/sgos/
SubGraph OS is an open-source and one of the most secure browsers you can use to browse the deep web.
It's packed with GrSecurity for starters, put it simply all I can say is it's 'the best' Linux kernel security enhancement known to man!
One of its superpowers is its ability to create 'Sandboxes' around programs commonly prone to online attacks and security leaks.
Meaning, it 'contains' those applications (Email, PDF Files, Messaging apps) within themselves, so even if there is a leak or security breach, it doesn't effect the whole system and remains limited to the app.
Not to mention that all outgoing traffic is routed via the TOR network. It's an extensive program but I'm pretty sure the above features can paint a picture for you as far Subgraph's capabilities are concerned, isn't that right?
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Disconnect
Website:https://disconnect.me/
Disconnect is on this list specifically because of its 'anti-monitoring' policies. The primary marketing hand it plays is its 'Disconnect' abilities.
It not only automatically prevents you from visiting sites which are known to collect information and are malicious, but also stop them from collecting your information if you do happen to land on them.
It also boasts an in-built VPN which makes it all the more secure and allows you to mask your location while you browse the deep web.
To top it all up, it's programmed in a way which also boosts your browsing speed (the deep web is ill-famous for its slow loading websites), saves your battery life if you're on a mobile device and a number of other extra benefits, so bottom-line, it's worth a try.
Disconnect offers us three plans, among which there's a 'free' plan as well so you can try it out without shelling anything out from your pockets.
Tails
Website:https://tails.boum.org/
It's on top of my personal favourite deep web browsers list after TOR, maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's a project from the TOR team itself.
Apart from it being a TOR project, what makes Tails special is its unique ability of being a 'standalone Operating system'!
What I mean by that phrase is, you can install and run Tails on any system in minutes directly from a USD stick, CD-Drive or any other media.
Once the OS is run, you can browse the deep web seamlessly, and all the traffic is forced to be routed through the TOR network.
Also, there's no trace of your activities whatsoever on the system Tails is run. Other advanced features include the ability to sign documents using the de-facto OpenPGP, and it also is capable of protecting our instant-messages by the use of OTR tool for added authentication and deniability.
EPIC
Website:https://www.epicbrowser.com/
EPIC really does live up to its name. It disables any and all 'tracking scripts' that websites might have positioned in order to track your activities, choices and interests.
Disabling the tracking scripts results in a faster loading of the websites, which is a big win specially on the deep web sites.
Every outgoing connection is encrypted in a 'Separate process' even if the browser is the same, which adds to the additional security provided by EPIC.
EPIC also makes it impossible for your IP address to be leaked out in the world with simple flaws like the webrtc function per say, instead it makes you the 'spy' by showing you who or which websites are tracking you.
And finally, it's embedded with a built-in proxy which hides your location, masks your IP address, and grants you access to even the hardest to find hidden websites.
And it's worth a mention that EPIC reportedly refused to compile to Google's ultimatum and share user-data even when it meant a majority of their traffic and revenue being cut-off.
Bottomline, they've earned our trust, and are worth it.
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Ipredia
Website:http://www.ipredia.org/os
Ipredia runs on I2TP, which is an anonymous network for people who're protective towards their identity and online security.
So Ipredia routes all online traffic via an I2TP router, and also features an anonymous BitTorrent client for those who're interested in downloading media via Torrents using the Deep Web torrent sites which are still live.
It also helps users discover hidden websites which aren't generally available on the web to be found.
Apart from all that, we might sometimes need Email IDs to register on Deep web markets or other Deep web platforms, well in that case Ipredia also features an anonymous Email client for you which you can use without risking your personal Email ID.
Not to mention an anonymous chat system being provided as well.
FreeNet Project
Website:https://freenetproject.org
The next contestant up this race for the best deep web browser is FreeNet project. And honestly, it has some of the best encryption and protection levels compared to a number of its rivals in this list.
Secret Identities, the 'secret sauce' of Freenet! Yeah, it let's you create a completely fake, secret identity which you can use while doing anything and everything on FreeNet.
FreeNet isn't a 'connected' environment, instead of an isolated one. Meaning it doesn't let you connect to Google or Facebook, instead it has its own social networks, chat-rooms, blogs, so in a nutshell it's the 'whole of the internet within itself'.
Friend-to-Friend node is another one of FreeNet's innovations, it's a connection protocol which let's you connect only to those nodes run by your friends or people you trust. That provides you with a lot more security and autonomy.
Utopia
Website: https://beta.u.is/
Utopia in many senses resembles Freenet, primarily in that it too is a complete environment within itself. It is a decentralized and P2P environment. What separates it from other similar tools is that it doesn't make use of any central server, hence eliminates any single point of failure. The program was created primarily and specifically for privacy and anonymity.
Additionally, the data from users (media/files/messages etc.) aren't stored on other third-party servers. For now, users can send private and group messages, share files, and send e-mails using uMail which is an isolated e-mail network accessible only inside Utopia.
Everything required for the environment (E-mail client, Wallet, Games, Messenger etc). is pre-included in the package and doesn't require any third-party installations.
It also has its own fully functional financial-structure, users can conduct financial transactions using Crypton, the private Cryptocurrency of Utopia. The users also 'earn' Crypton for using the platform. No party controls the transactions, neither has access to the transaction details.
No data about a user's activity such as location, IP addresses or messages are collected. The storage is encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption.
Is currently in its Beta version and users are invited to join the program and contribute their skills.
Psiphon
Website: https://www.psiphon3.com/en/index.html
Psiphon alike Whonix or a number of other tools on this list is an anti-censorship tool. It's a browser which makes use of VPN, SSH Tunnels and Proxy to help bypass internet censorship. Note that it clearly states that it doesn't increase anonymity, and shouldn't be considered as an online security tool.
Put simply, when using Psiphon our ISPs can't intercept our traffic. Neither can they monitor our internet habits, browsing history, messages or anything else. On Windows Psiphon uses L2TP/IPSec protocols to connect to the internet, arguably one of the strongest and most encrypted solutions.
It's currently available for Windows, Android and iOS. Currently Linux and MacOS aren't supported but the team has stated that it may be a future possibility.
Note that Psiphon is neither an alternative to Tor nor a VPN. It's simply a 'censorship circumvention tool'. It allows access to content other browsers may not. But it doesn't necessarily offer anonymity or privacy. Also unlike a VPN it only proxies the activities conducted explicitly through the Psiphon browser. All other internet connections are unencrypted and public.
Yandex Browser
Website:https://browser.yandex.com/desktop/main/
Yandex is yet another deep web browser you can get your hands on, a browser which understands your privacy and need to be anonymous.
For starters, it has built-in safety mechanism which keeps your 'online activity' safe, things like being attacked by a malware, tracking of activities, bank details being leaked and so on.
It even has Kaspersky antivirus inbuilt into the browser to protect your downloads!
Apart from that, considering how slow the deep web generally is, it has a 'turbo mode' which keeps thing in balance even when your internet speed drops down, or the website is just not fast enough.
Zero Net
Website:https://zeronet.io/
Zero Net was created in 2015. It's an isolated, Peer to Peer network which aims to build a self-sufficient internet-like interface within itself. Zero Net uses Bitcoin's cryptography as well as BitTorrent to make the overall network decentralized as well as anonymous.
The primary reason why it's listed here is, it's nearly impossible to identify a site owner among a list of simple website visitors. Each Zero Net website uses Bitcoin's private keys (wallet-addresses) and there are no 'servers' as such. So the files are served, or 'seeded' locally. In other words, every visitor of a website is a host of the website as well (only if they wish to).
It's 100% decentralized and open-source, hence no third-party control of institutions and governments is applicable. It also allows routing its traffic through Tor which makes it perfect for accessing the Deep/Dark web.
It has plans to implement BitMessage as well as OpenBaazar 2.0 in its future updates. Both of which will potentially make it the next Dark-web hub much similar to Tor itself. It already features alternatives to Facebook, Gmail, Twitter etc. And these are 100% anonymous and privacy-respecting.
So let's just say that Zero Net isn't a 'browser'. Rather a network which supports Deep web browsers, and offers deep web alternatives to almost everything available on the Clearnet. Tor is pre-bundled with the Windows version of ZeroNet as well.
I2P
Then select from:
Forget in Background
Happens when you tap the HOME button, otherwise switch apps, or the display times-out and the login screen is presented.
Forget at Shutdown
Happens only when user actually closes the app or shuts down the device
Remember Tabs
Tabs are NOT hidden; this setting is also called 'Startup in last state' and it's the opposite of 'remove web pages when switching apps' because it means your browsing state is saved between sessions. For many, this is a tremendous time-saver, but users concerned about their device being taken from them should not enable this feature.
NOTE: Your bookmarks are also an indication of your browsing interests. Creating many bookmarks on the device leaves a certain 'fingerprint' about your browsing intentions in the same way open tabs indicate what's actually being used. See the Nextcloud Bookmarks feature as a way to resolve this problem.
Onion Browser As Your Default System Browser
There are a lot of ways you can acquire a link to web content and resources. Many applications, when seeing a link, will offer the option to open that link in the web browser. On iOS, Safari is the system browser, registered to open links, and iOS doesn't usually allow other browsers to have that privilege. Safari doesn't use Tor, so it's not safe to open links that way. We can't make Onion Browser the 'system browser', but there is a way to disable Safari and allow Onion Browser to open your links. Follow these steps:
Open the iOS Settings app. Tap 'Screen Time' (if it's your first time using this feature, several help screens will follow).
Tap 'Content & Privacy Restrictions' to enable it. Tap 'Allowed Apps'. Tap 'Safari' to disable it. This way, Safari won't be opened when links are clicked in any app starting with http:// or https://. OnionBrowser can now open the links safely.
NextCloud Bookmarks
Bookmarks make it easy to access frequently-desired content as well as to preserve access to infrequently-visited, but necessary, sites. However, bookmarks can also represent intent or interest and, for those in danger of losing their device to bad actors, this can be an issue.
If you use NextCloud, you can manage your Onion Browser bookmarks on your other devices and synchronize them with Onion Browser. Here's how:
Tap the Bookmarks icon, then tap ‘Sync with Nextcloud'.Enter the link for your Nextcloud server along with your username and password, then tap ‘Sync Bookmarks'.
If you're not a Nextcloud user and this sounds interesting, find more about NextCloud at nextcloud.com.
Some Failure Modes and How to Recover
Let's talk about ways in which Onion Browser - and the mountain of software and Internet network architecture behind it - can let you down. Yes, it DOES happen. Sometimes your network just doesn't have the performance and responsiveness it requires. Sometimes your network is under heavy surveillance. Sometimes the Tor network is under direct attack by bad actors. Let's look at a few of the failures you might experience and see what you can do to mitigate at least some of the impacts. We regret that this list is not complete.
On Start-up
What if I have no network connection of any kind and I don't realize it? What if my network connection is very slow? What if Tor is blocked in my country?
First, if you know - via friends or trusted information sources - that Tor is blocked in your country, you'll need configure access via a bridge on your very first startup. Please revisit the prior discussion on how to properly configure Tor bridge access. Please remember, bridges tend to degrade the user experience in a number of ways. They're a 'last resort'.
If you're not connected to a local or wide-area network (and don't realize it) or if your connection is very poor (low-bandwidth), or if Tor is blocked in your country, Onion Browser won't be able to start. Unfortunately, there's no safe way to automatically distinguish between these different conditions. First, try to verify that the device itself has a connection or move to another location & network. Please remember, Tor can be slow to start up - especially on your first use - even under the best circumstances because it has to discover its network of nodes (at least partly) before it can build circuits. This does take a little patience.
On Restart
What if Tor fails to start or restart properly within Onion Browser (can this happen, for example, when switching tabs)?
If Tor fails on start/restart, Onion Browser assumes that it's because the Tor nodes available from your location are blocked. Onion Browser will urge you to configure bridges. You won't be able to proceed, though. You actually need to stop Onion Browser (switch to another app, or kill the app by swiping it out of iOS' app-cards overview) and then start it again.
If you experience a lot of this type of failure, you may want to consider the Onion Browser setting that allows you to 'Remember Tabs' (also called 'start up in last state'). That's available using 'Settings -> Tab Security -> Remember Tabs'.
After A Heavy-Use Session
There's a lot going on within Onion Browser and sometimes after a lot of use (or maybe due to a lot of tabs open for a long time) Onion Browser will run out of working memory on the device. In this case, iOS will probably kill the app by itself (though you may have to swipe it away from the app-cards overview under certain circumstances). When you start it again, it will be a fresh start.
This is another good time to remember, if your situation allows it, use the 'Remember Tabs' feature.
Failures Under Regular Use
You may experience using Onion Browser in a normal way, seemingly fine, and then when tapping a link or visiting a new site nothing seems to happen. It's hard to know if the link or site is the problem, or if Onion Browser or Tor is the problem.
You can check if Tor is still running by creating a new tab and visiting, for example, DuckDuckGo.com. If Tor really has failed, you should leave the app and enter back after a few seconds (that is, switch to another app, then return). That action should restart Tor. If that fails to help, go to iOS' app-cards overview, swipe-away Onion Browser and start it again.
If the new tab opening to DuckDuckGo.com does work, then Tor is still operating and that's a good indicator that the link or website you visited contains some JavaScript Onion Browser thinks is unsafe.
Onion Browser has a pop-up and ad blocker integrated. These, unfortunately, might interfere with the web page in a way that makes it break. These features cannot be switched off, currently.
Lastly, failure can happen when the Security Level currently set for the page is denying the website from taking certain actions. Loading media is one such action, though not every time. If you're sure leaking your browsing information to somebody listening on your connection isn't a problem, you might want to lower the security level to 'Bronze', at least for that site.
What Are These 'Circuits' You Talk About?
The circuit is the path your communications take through the Tor network (whose nodes exist in many countries in the world). Normally, you don't need to take specific care regarding the circuit, because that's Tor's business. However, depending on the 'exit node' Tor has chosen, you might see a website localized wrongly or a website that mistakes you for a hostile due to your country-of-origin (which Tor has set). In those cases you can request a new circuit. It's easy, right there on the circuit display.
The circuit display could also hint to the reason of a slow connection. If you're routed around the world, that might be the problem. However, Tor typically tries to avoid these situations automatically and chooses circuits with hops near you.
Custom Site Settings
Now that we've introduced 'Security Levels' in the new Onion Browser, there's much less need to store custom settings for individual websites. That's a good thing because these settings are hard to remember once customized. For example, did you remove all restrictions from a website because you were once on a less restricted network? Well, when you're back on your surveilled network, it's hard to remember that you customized just that one site. That can lead to an unplanned exposure.
We hope you like the new 'Security Levels' mechanism - it's much easier to monitor how much risk you're exposed to using this mechanism. Enjoy it!
Support
Work on Onion Browser during 2019 and through mid-2020 was funded by the Open Technology Fund and sponsored by the Guardian Project. Mike Tigas was development architect, Benjamin Erhart was lead developer. OkThanks provided user-centered design services.
To contribute to the long-term maintenance of Onion Browser, please visit the donation page.
Deep Web Browsers are browsers which let you access the Deep web. The Deep Web, as the name suggests is the 'deeper' part of the Internet.
Something that you can't access with your Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or any other day-to-day browsers and that's exactly where the Deep Web Browser comes to your rescue.
So here we list the top 10 Deep Web Browsers, their features and why they are the best weapons in your arsenal when you're about to access the Deep web.
Why do you Need Deep Web Browsers?
They let you access the Deep Web, that's the surface-level answer, but what makes them special, why can't you use the general browsers to do the same? That's what this section is about.
Accessing the Hidden Links
The Deep Web isn't hosted on the 'World Wide Web' (WWW), so you can't access it with the general browsers because they don't recognize the .onion or can't grant you access the opposites.
Neither are these links made available on the search engines for you to just click on them and land over there.
While the Deep Web Browsers are crafted specifically to facilitate the access of those onion links, and at the same time also generally let you browse the clearnet.
Privacy
The Deep Web is generally paired up with content that's 'illicit' if not illegal at best, even though it's not always true, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want others peeking over your search history, or Identity on the Deep Web, would you?
It's not just about search history, cookies or activities from your end, even others (including websites and independently interested 'third-parties') trace and track your location, activities and other data.
No information is sent from the deep web browsers to the websites you browse, which isn't the case with the general browsers we use.
So basically, deep web browsers are specifically armed in such a way that your identity is protected and is kept anonymous, so you always have a cloak over you while you walk through the slimy streets of the Deep web.
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Top 10 Deep Web Browsers
Here are the Top 10 Deep Web Browsers you can employ to your service right now and start surfing the waves towards the Deeper part of the web.
We've explained what makes these browsers 'the best', and also note that this isn't a 'ranking chart', so the #1 browser doesn't mean it's the 'best', while the #10 doesn't indicate it being the 'last option' either.
TOR (The Onion Router)
Website:https://www.torproject.org
Even though it's not a 'ranking chart' as I said earlier, TOR is literally 'the best deep web browser' you'll ever cross paths with.
TOR is an Open-Source project that was broken out of its eggshell to protect 'Internet freedom' (which is somewhat of rarity these days!)
TOR keeps our identity private by using a 'network or relays' which is run by volunteers all across the globe. They bounce our internet traffic off via various nodes which if translated to plain English, means your identity is safe with TOR.
It allows for users to manually select their security levels and trade it for the level of 'user-interface' they get. Disabling images and scripts offers more security, and vice-versa. It even allows users to create new identities, or just opt for a new circuit.
Moreover, you get to see which countries exactly your network is being routed through. TOR is also extremely well-managed and updated very frequently which is a reassuring thought.
Tor Browser for Android
Download:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.torproject.torbrowser
You may need one of the best Deep Web browsers for Access the Deep web even if you're not on a PC or a laptop and we totally understand that.
I personally used Orbot to access the Deep Web on Android devices earlier. But then came the Tor Browser which wasn't very stable, and required Orbot in addition to the Tor browser in order to function.
This new Tor browser (Android) releases however are independent apps from Tor, which don't require Orbot to route traffic through the onion network. Alike the Computer version, it too blocks ads and fingerprinting, allows access to .onion sites and makes overall browsing a lot more anonymous.
Note that you also can use Orbot however the official Tor browser is a lot more anonymous and secure. Alike Tor browser, Orbot for Android too passes the traffic via various nodes before connecting to a user. And obviously alike most other options on this list, Tor (both for Desktop and Android) is absolutely free to download and use.
Whonix
Website:https://www.whonix.org/
Whonix is an advanced deep web browser which is armed to the teeth to protect you against common web-attacks or privacy threats.
It uses the TOR network to provide us with online anonymity, and a deeper layer or protection is its heavily encrypted and modified debian base which is run inside a number of virtual machines; acting as our guardian angle against malware and IP address leaks!
Whonix takes pride in being an isolated solution for the deep web, at the same time being able to be run inside a Virtual machine and with mandated TOR routing.
SubGraph OS
Website:https://subgraph.com/sgos/
SubGraph OS is an open-source and one of the most secure browsers you can use to browse the deep web.
It's packed with GrSecurity for starters, put it simply all I can say is it's 'the best' Linux kernel security enhancement known to man!
One of its superpowers is its ability to create 'Sandboxes' around programs commonly prone to online attacks and security leaks.
Meaning, it 'contains' those applications (Email, PDF Files, Messaging apps) within themselves, so even if there is a leak or security breach, it doesn't effect the whole system and remains limited to the app.
Not to mention that all outgoing traffic is routed via the TOR network. It's an extensive program but I'm pretty sure the above features can paint a picture for you as far Subgraph's capabilities are concerned, isn't that right?
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Disconnect
Website:https://disconnect.me/
Disconnect is on this list specifically because of its 'anti-monitoring' policies. The primary marketing hand it plays is its 'Disconnect' abilities.
It not only automatically prevents you from visiting sites which are known to collect information and are malicious, but also stop them from collecting your information if you do happen to land on them.
It also boasts an in-built VPN which makes it all the more secure and allows you to mask your location while you browse the deep web.
To top it all up, it's programmed in a way which also boosts your browsing speed (the deep web is ill-famous for its slow loading websites), saves your battery life if you're on a mobile device and a number of other extra benefits, so bottom-line, it's worth a try.
Disconnect offers us three plans, among which there's a 'free' plan as well so you can try it out without shelling anything out from your pockets.
Tails
Website:https://tails.boum.org/
It's on top of my personal favourite deep web browsers list after TOR, maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's a project from the TOR team itself.
Apart from it being a TOR project, what makes Tails special is its unique ability of being a 'standalone Operating system'!
What I mean by that phrase is, you can install and run Tails on any system in minutes directly from a USD stick, CD-Drive or any other media.
Once the OS is run, you can browse the deep web seamlessly, and all the traffic is forced to be routed through the TOR network.
Also, there's no trace of your activities whatsoever on the system Tails is run. Other advanced features include the ability to sign documents using the de-facto OpenPGP, and it also is capable of protecting our instant-messages by the use of OTR tool for added authentication and deniability.
EPIC
Website:https://www.epicbrowser.com/
EPIC really does live up to its name. It disables any and all 'tracking scripts' that websites might have positioned in order to track your activities, choices and interests.
Disabling the tracking scripts results in a faster loading of the websites, which is a big win specially on the deep web sites.
Every outgoing connection is encrypted in a 'Separate process' even if the browser is the same, which adds to the additional security provided by EPIC.
EPIC also makes it impossible for your IP address to be leaked out in the world with simple flaws like the webrtc function per say, instead it makes you the 'spy' by showing you who or which websites are tracking you.
And finally, it's embedded with a built-in proxy which hides your location, masks your IP address, and grants you access to even the hardest to find hidden websites.
And it's worth a mention that EPIC reportedly refused to compile to Google's ultimatum and share user-data even when it meant a majority of their traffic and revenue being cut-off.
Bottomline, they've earned our trust, and are worth it.
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Ipredia
Website:http://www.ipredia.org/os
Ipredia runs on I2TP, which is an anonymous network for people who're protective towards their identity and online security.
So Ipredia routes all online traffic via an I2TP router, and also features an anonymous BitTorrent client for those who're interested in downloading media via Torrents using the Deep Web torrent sites which are still live.
It also helps users discover hidden websites which aren't generally available on the web to be found.
Apart from all that, we might sometimes need Email IDs to register on Deep web markets or other Deep web platforms, well in that case Ipredia also features an anonymous Email client for you which you can use without risking your personal Email ID.
Not to mention an anonymous chat system being provided as well.
FreeNet Project
Website:https://freenetproject.org
The next contestant up this race for the best deep web browser is FreeNet project. And honestly, it has some of the best encryption and protection levels compared to a number of its rivals in this list.
Secret Identities, the 'secret sauce' of Freenet! Yeah, it let's you create a completely fake, secret identity which you can use while doing anything and everything on FreeNet.
FreeNet isn't a 'connected' environment, instead of an isolated one. Meaning it doesn't let you connect to Google or Facebook, instead it has its own social networks, chat-rooms, blogs, so in a nutshell it's the 'whole of the internet within itself'.
Friend-to-Friend node is another one of FreeNet's innovations, it's a connection protocol which let's you connect only to those nodes run by your friends or people you trust. That provides you with a lot more security and autonomy.
Utopia
Website: https://beta.u.is/
Utopia in many senses resembles Freenet, primarily in that it too is a complete environment within itself. It is a decentralized and P2P environment. What separates it from other similar tools is that it doesn't make use of any central server, hence eliminates any single point of failure. The program was created primarily and specifically for privacy and anonymity.
Additionally, the data from users (media/files/messages etc.) aren't stored on other third-party servers. For now, users can send private and group messages, share files, and send e-mails using uMail which is an isolated e-mail network accessible only inside Utopia.
Everything required for the environment (E-mail client, Wallet, Games, Messenger etc). is pre-included in the package and doesn't require any third-party installations.
It also has its own fully functional financial-structure, users can conduct financial transactions using Crypton, the private Cryptocurrency of Utopia. The users also 'earn' Crypton for using the platform. No party controls the transactions, neither has access to the transaction details.
No data about a user's activity such as location, IP addresses or messages are collected. The storage is encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption.
Is currently in its Beta version and users are invited to join the program and contribute their skills.
Psiphon
Website: https://www.psiphon3.com/en/index.html
Psiphon alike Whonix or a number of other tools on this list is an anti-censorship tool. It's a browser which makes use of VPN, SSH Tunnels and Proxy to help bypass internet censorship. Note that it clearly states that it doesn't increase anonymity, and shouldn't be considered as an online security tool.
Put simply, when using Psiphon our ISPs can't intercept our traffic. Neither can they monitor our internet habits, browsing history, messages or anything else. On Windows Psiphon uses L2TP/IPSec protocols to connect to the internet, arguably one of the strongest and most encrypted solutions.
It's currently available for Windows, Android and iOS. Currently Linux and MacOS aren't supported but the team has stated that it may be a future possibility.
Note that Psiphon is neither an alternative to Tor nor a VPN. It's simply a 'censorship circumvention tool'. It allows access to content other browsers may not. But it doesn't necessarily offer anonymity or privacy. Also unlike a VPN it only proxies the activities conducted explicitly through the Psiphon browser. All other internet connections are unencrypted and public.
Yandex Browser
Website:https://browser.yandex.com/desktop/main/
Yandex is yet another deep web browser you can get your hands on, a browser which understands your privacy and need to be anonymous.
For starters, it has built-in safety mechanism which keeps your 'online activity' safe, things like being attacked by a malware, tracking of activities, bank details being leaked and so on.
It even has Kaspersky antivirus inbuilt into the browser to protect your downloads!
Apart from that, considering how slow the deep web generally is, it has a 'turbo mode' which keeps thing in balance even when your internet speed drops down, or the website is just not fast enough.
Zero Net
Website:https://zeronet.io/
Zero Net was created in 2015. It's an isolated, Peer to Peer network which aims to build a self-sufficient internet-like interface within itself. Zero Net uses Bitcoin's cryptography as well as BitTorrent to make the overall network decentralized as well as anonymous.
The primary reason why it's listed here is, it's nearly impossible to identify a site owner among a list of simple website visitors. Each Zero Net website uses Bitcoin's private keys (wallet-addresses) and there are no 'servers' as such. So the files are served, or 'seeded' locally. In other words, every visitor of a website is a host of the website as well (only if they wish to).
It's 100% decentralized and open-source, hence no third-party control of institutions and governments is applicable. It also allows routing its traffic through Tor which makes it perfect for accessing the Deep/Dark web.
It has plans to implement BitMessage as well as OpenBaazar 2.0 in its future updates. Both of which will potentially make it the next Dark-web hub much similar to Tor itself. It already features alternatives to Facebook, Gmail, Twitter etc. And these are 100% anonymous and privacy-respecting.
So let's just say that Zero Net isn't a 'browser'. Rather a network which supports Deep web browsers, and offers deep web alternatives to almost everything available on the Clearnet. Tor is pre-bundled with the Windows version of ZeroNet as well.
I2P
Website:https://geti2p.net/en/
The final solution I can lay out for you as a deep web browser is I2P. They market themselves as 'A network inside a network', so again a 'contained network' in other words.
It protects us from data-leaks, activities being tracked online, identity being publicized and so on. So basically it protects our digital lives.
Apart from that, just like FreeNet, I2P also offers contained, isolated platforms for Emails, Blogging, Chat, File-sharing etc. And all this is anonymous, as well as decentralized.
All the messages are sent via 'tunnels' and routed via the I2P router which keeps it anonymous as well as safe from being intercepted by unwanted third-parties.
Lastly, you can access the eepsites (anonymous sites not available on the clearnet) with I2P as well.
Difference Between Tor and I2P
This section is here because even though this article is all about Deep Web Browsers, the technology/algorithm implemented in Tor and I2P to achieve those goals is significantly different.
Going through this piece most of you may align Tor and I2P to be just about the same things which would be as wrong as Christmas being in August.
For starters, Tor can be used to access the public Internet while I2P can't provide you access to them. I2P content is exclusive to the I2P network and isn't available outside it.
The Primary difference between Tor and I2P is that while Tor relies on Onion routing; I2P relies on Garlic routing, which is an extension of Onion routing, both these processes aren't completely different yet aren't identical either.
Now there are quite a few tech-terms involved in their differences, but i'll break it all down in laymen's terms for you. Garlic routing (used by I2P) is named Garlic because of its ability to 'bundle messages together', like a clove (and hence the name-Garlic).
Furthermore, Garlic routing makes use of Unidirectional tunnels; both the sender as well as the recipient build two tunnels each; where one is used for sending and the other for receiving data. 2 Parties, with 2 tunnels each hence create a network of 4 tunnels.
While Tor and similar tools use Bidirectional tunnels, so the same tunnel is used both to send as well as receive data which obviously congests the network more and hence results in slightly slower speeds than Garlic routing is able to provide.
I2P also focuses majorly on making the tunnel 'length' anonymous and indeterminable (among other security precautions) hence neither the creator nor the receiver at the endpoint of the tunnel can determine the length, latency or any such potentially-compromising data about the Tunnel.
Bottomline, there's not a ton of difference between Tor and I2P on the user-level, yet in the background it's a completely different story. Note that the differences mentioned here are only the tip of the iceberg, the other existing differences are too complicated to be explained in an article as simple as this.
Onion Browser (iOS)
Website:https://onionbrowser.com/
iOS (Apple) is one of the least private, most privacy-intrusive companies on the planet. Hence trying to access the Deep/Dark web over there can be a challenge without compromising on your identity.
Fortunately I recently stumbled upon Onion browser. It's an Onion browser just like the name suggests, but it's for iOS.
Can you trust it? Well yes, considering how it's open-source so all of its code is available for public inspection. If you're not a code-lover well in that case ProPublica vouches for them as well. ProPublica is one of the largest whistle-blowing, anti-censorship and liberal online platforms out there.
It also has been featured in a number of magazines of international repute such as LifeHacker, The Guardian, Tech Crunch etc. further establishing its claims to be true.
The features are parallel with what the Tor browser offers. Such as secondary, hidden IP Addresses routed over the Tor network, accessibility of .onion domains etc. It also lets users clear their cookie and cache in just one click (or tap).
For added privacy, you can also send the 'DNT' (Do Not Track) request to websites (although it depends on individual websites' compliance policies if they do or don't comply to such requests).
Onion Browser Iphone
Although it does have some complications, for e.g. the browser only routes the traffic from the browser, so any other apps, internet requests sent via other apps or browsers aren't encrypted and are still vulnerable.
Javascript Blocking isn't perfect yet and may leak device info. Also, Geolocation blocking is only effective in cases when 'Active Content Blocking' is set to 'block all'.
Bottomline, it's free, open-source and feature-rich however isn't perfect yet and should be along with some personal security precautions.
Use VPN
This isn't a 'browser' but I'm still adding it here because VPNs are the extra layer or security and anonymity which fill in the gaps left by the browsers.
No browser, not even TOR is completely anonymous, and they're honest about it, they're just a 'more secure, and privacy-respecting' browsers compared to the other general browsers.
But a VPN is a third-party software which masks your IP address, and offers you a plethora of 'virtual locations' to choose from in a single click! Masking your IP address makes sure even if there is an IP-address or DNS leak, your identity remains cloaked and safe. Check out best VPN software that you can use.
Top 3 VPN Service for You
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Difference Between a VPN and Tor
So a VPN is 'not' a browser like Tor, I2P or any other option on this list, rather it's an additional software which needs to be installed on your system (or browsers in some case as extensions).
It doesn't let you browse websites or access content, in the simplest possible terms what it does when enabled is, takes your IP address (which is being used to connect to the Internet) and changes it with one of its own, so now the VPN's IP address is being used to connect to the internet and not yours.
Also, it uses various connection protocols such as L2TP/IPsec, IKev2, PPTP, SSTP and so on to encrypt your connections. Tor in addition to encryption, uses 'Nodes' to bounce your requests from one location to another until finally reaching your destination, while with a VPN there are no 'nodes' per-se rather just the VPN's IP address acting as an intermediary between your request and the destination.
Also, Tor being a browser only encrypts the traffic going through the browser, any other outbound internet traffic (like from other browsers, chat messengers and/or anything else) aren't encrypted. While with a VPN the entire outgoing traffic via any browser or application is encrypted and masked with this secondary IP address.
Problems with Tor
Even though Tor is the undisputed king of Dark web browsing, there do exist some problems with it. For starters, Tor functions through relays, or nodes. These are intermediaries which transfer your data from one node to another till it finally reaches the exit-node.
The exit-node is the last node which finally decrypts the data and sends it off to the destination website. This exit-node can be setup by anyone, and there's no guarantee that the exit-node used by you wasn't a FBI-setup.
Then there's the XKeyScore program. This isn't a technical or anti-privacy guide so all I'll say is, it's the NSA magic-wand. They can simply waive it and get into any E-mail, any network, any website traffic and basically 'anything' else on the internet.
Although how it directly effects us is, after Edward Snowden revealed its true purpose and potential it came to light that the NSA now keeps an eye on people who use the Tor network. A sort of 'anticipatory' list, of people who may be doing things they don't want us doing. In other words if you use Tor, there's every chance you may already be on a watchlist.
Also, the FBI has already hacked Tor before.
Onion Browser For Ipad
So bottomline, Tor even though isn't 'unbreakable' or the ultimate layer or protection, still is the max-security browser out there as of today. And this is why it should always be used in addition to a VPN.
Problems with a VPN
A VPN too isn't completely secure. Or in other words, not 'all' VPNs are secure. There are some specific factors you need to pay attention to when choosing a VPN.
First and Foremost make sure it has a No logs policy. Go to the NLP page and read the fine print. Make sure they don't store any identifiable data or usage history under 'any' circumstances.
Secondly, many VPNs post their Pre-shared Keys online. PureVPN is one of them. This is a major no-no as it'll let hackers and third-parties attempt a Man-in-The-Middle attack.
Also make sure that the VPN is from a privacy-friendly country, such as Switzerland for example. Any VPN company from countries such as USA or UK are to be avoided. Simply because the govt. in these countries has extensive control over companies.
Most VPNs do not provide for forward-secrecy. This is like leaving a footprint of your network connection which can later be traced and tracked. So go with a VPN which does support forward secrecy. DNS Leak Protection is another feature to look for.
And finally, even though not explicitly required it's still a good idea to go with a company which offers Double-hop, or double-encryption. Simply because then your connection is routed through two VPN servers instead of one, hence double protection for you.
One VPN which provides for all the security features listed above, and then some is Nord VPN.
You can refer to some of the VPN reviews in the following posts if you do wish to go with a VPN:
Best VPN Review Posts:
Is Accessing the Deep Web Illegal?
If you're searching for top 10 browsers to access the Deep Web, this is a question that sure must've popped for you. Well, you first need to understand that the 'Deep Web' can be divided in two parts, the 'Deep Web' and the 'Dark Web'.
The 'Dark Web' is a smaller part of the Deep Web, but it's even harder to access and requires specially crafted browsers, such as Tor. Accordingly, it also is equally 'illegal'. Infact, the 'Dark Web' is the illegal part of the Deep Web. It primarily is hosted on the Onion network, and offers access to Darknet Markets, Weapon Shops, Illegal Porn, Credit Card Shops and similar portals.
You need to understand that there's no official classification of what's 'Deep Web Content' and what's 'Dark Web Content'. As long as you're simply accessing hidden documents, private networks (chat rooms, file-sharing portals etc). or hidden websites, accessing the Deep Web won't bring you any legal troubles.
But as soon as you find yourself on a website which could potentially be illegal, it's best if you get off the site. It's not exactly illegal being on one such site, but the laws are becoming pretty strict and you never know what can be used against you.
Final Words:
So those were the 10 best deep web browsers existing in the industry today. We compared these based on their features, anonymity, privacy level and so on.
Starting from TOR right to the very last option, feel free to go with any one of them. Just make sure you've employed a VPN just in case. As long as you've done so, you've got the green light to be a deep web tourist!
Do let me know your feedback and experience on this piece, it matters, it does.
