Mobile Tor Browser – Features and Capabilities

The full form of Tor is “The Onion Router”. It is used for establishing online communication privately and it will give you confidence in a safe browsing experience. With the help of the Tor Browser, we can also access the “.Onion” domain. It is known for protecting user’s privacy and we can not only use it on our desktop but it has a mobile version also which introduces some special features. It is designed to cover the specific needs of mobile browsers and enhance better and safer user browsing experience. The Tor Browser for mobile devices has similar functionalities to its desktop version. It is covered by different security layers. which ensures all security concerns. It is designed for people who want to establish internet communication without disclosing their identity and perform their work anonymously it is important to secure your details from the trackers because, in this digital era, everyone knows the importance of their valuable data.

How Does Tor Browser Works?

The Tor (The Onion Router) Browser has different security layers. It uses different servers and the user’s data travels through it from time to time the details are encrypted in each step and each node has only the details of the previous node and your original details are hidden that’s why it’s very hard to trace Tor user’s activity. With the help of this users can browse the internet without revealing their original identity but this process affects the performance. That’s why max of the time you face the issue of slow speed. The speed depends on the number of times your data travels through different servers but it is considerable because it provides better security features. These are the points we should know about Tor:

1. The Onion routing:

The Onion Routing protocol system is the main functionality of the Tor browser which plays an important role in providing enhanced security. As per its name, it is just like when we cut the first upper layer of onion we find that there are lots of similar layers present. similarly the Tor browser works. the real data is encrypted with many security layers. and each layer only contains the basic instructions, source, and destination information. and each layer is independent. that’s why others can’t track the original details. and source of Tor browser user.

2. Relays:

The relays work as a postman, it carries the encrypted data. without knowing what is inside it. that’s why it is very hard to trace the user’s location in Tor. There are three different kinds of relays. which handles the overall process these are entry, middle, and exit relays. it is executed by several volunteers. it helps in routing and securing the user’s privacy

3. DNS Security in Tor:

Tor promises privacy and security and makes sure your data are hidden and nontraceable. Here DNS( Domain Name System) plays an important role. Tor keeps track of different activities when you are browsing and Tor is more concerned about DNS queries. it is protected with different encrypted layers. that’s why it is suggested to use Tor’s default DNS instead of using external DNS providers while using Tor.

4. Other Services:

• we can browse the websites that have .onion Domains in Tor. It’s good to use it ethically. and these websites are only available for Tor users. normal browsers can not open this domain.
• Bridge relays are an important part of the Tor security network. it is not available publicly. with the help of this feature, users can use direct internet connectivity and establish online communication when they need it.
• Tor‘s code is Open-Source. it means you can know how Tor works. and if you want so you can learn and contribute to the Tor project.
• Tor allows you to browse the hidden websites of the internet. you can access the Dark web on the Tor. and these websites are not open through normal browsers.

Ordinary relays and Bridges:

Relays are part of the Tor network and are responsible for carrying your encrypted data and taking it to its destination point, where you want to land. Relays are a series of nodes. which encrypts your data multiple times and sends it to another random relay. This process has been done multiple times. That’s why it’s very hard to find your source and activity when you are browsing the Tor network. There are three different kinds of relays: entry, middle, and exit relays. It is manipulated by various volunteers overall in the Tor network system.

Bridges can also be identified as ordinary relays because, similar to other relays, they are also managed by various volunteers, but they are different as they are not publicly available. That’s why they are more secure. With the help of Bridges, you can also access the internet in restricted areas.

Tor features on Mobile browsers:

We can also use the Tor Browser on a mobile device. Some special features are specially designed to enhance user security, privacy, and anonymity when we are using the internet on our mobile devices. We can have the same encryption and privacy features offered by Tor in our hands, and we can privately and securely surf the internet on mobile. It is designed to keep an eye on the unique requirements and difficulties of mobile browsing, which differentiate it from its desktop version.

Tor Browser has an idea about the difficulties we face with mobile networks while surfing the internet. That’s why the Tor Browser has redesigned the overall experience. It introduces the three different security levels, which are safer, standard, and safest. These levels are designed to be used as per the user’s different requirements. Safer and standard modes are more concerned with speed and using minimum security layers, but it is recommended to use Safest mode for achieving complete security because it strictly follows all security rules.

Standard:

If you use Tor and enable this level, it will give you more priority towards effective data speed. The Tor circuits are designed to minimize the latency, which will result in maximizing the surfing speed. In this mode, fewer relays are used. Standard mode removes some tracking of third-party cookies and scripts, but it is not the ultimate solution to achieve complete privacy and some relays have your actual information.

Safer:

At this level, the majority of scripts, external plugins, and other third-party stuff are disabled, which helps enhance privacy, which is similar to wearing a mask and hiding your face. When you are surfing the internet and communicating with different websites, the safer mode actively looks for encrypted connections on the server.

Safest:

This is the most enhanced security level. It is used for specific needs; it increases the number of hops. Which will reduce the possibility of fingerprinting the scripts, specific fonts are disabled because of it, and sometimes the complete structure of the website will collapse. Multiple relays are used, which affect surfing speed. But at the end, it was all for achieving greater anonymity.

Bridges in mobile browsers:

Tor Mobile provides some special configurations. You can access blocked content with bridges. Just like if your main entrance is locked, you can use another gateway for entry. You can also access the internet in restricted areas using bridges.

There are different options on our mobile application that we can use. We can say it is a secret door that can be accessed without further modification. But if you want, you can explore the option “Let’s add your bridge.” and you can use it as per your specific requirements. There are three options available, which are ObfS4, Meek-Azure, and Snowflake. You can choose it as per your needs.

The project to take care of your browsing experience; that’s why the updates come frequently. These are the mobile browsers available that you can download on your mobile.

• Orbot: Orbot is a famous browser for Android. You can use its special features to achieve anonymous internet exploration. This application is available on the Play Store. Although it is not possible to achieve all the features that are available in the desktop version, it provides more security and privacy compared to other browsers.
• Orfox is used before the official version is released by the Tor project and in this application, you can manually choose the configurations, and it provides a variety of features.

There is no option for iOS, but it is suggested, and the most popular alternative is the Onion Browser. It is an open-source project that helps you use some Tor features in your iOS-based system.

Conclusion:

We discuss the functionality of Tor and how it concerns the privacy of users’ data. The Tor is called the protector of privacy. and we know how it works—onion routing, relays,  and bridges. You can use it on your mobile as well and the specific characteristics of mobile browsers and the different modes available to fulfill your specific needs and we are safe from the trackers with some specific features, browse the internet confidently, and achieve desired outcomes.