Privacy Browser Android

First, I would recommend you read the requirements for a search engine to be included in Privacy Browser.

1. Brave does not qualify because it doesn't work with Privacy Browser's default settings (see attached screenshot). This is because it doesn't like Privacy Browser's default user agent.

2. Etools does not appear to return image results.

I clearly overlooked some things. Sorry. I didn't realized etools doesn't have an image search. Never even noticed. I use a different FOSS app that meta-searches engines for images specifically.

I need to be more mindful that others probably don't do things the way I do. A symptom of terminal self-centeredness I guess. <shrug>.

The settings page (where all the good stuff is like the results proxy to add another layer of distance from the engines) is also a pain to get to on mobile; I had to switch the UA to a desktop. Shame, because it's exemplary for regular searches. Maybe a consideration for a desktop browser if you're working on one still.

And, speaking of UAs, yes, sorry about Brave. It wouldn't let me in with the default one either. I also forget about that. I consider it sort of the successor to DDG now that DDG have added four different telemetry mechanisms to their site. I only have their word that they specifically do not include IPs, etc. with these data, but that strikes me as unlikely given that that stuff are pretty routine pieces of info to collect with any telemetry design.

I don't use the default UA personally, because I consider it as an increase to the attack surface of my fingerprint. I'd rather blend in with a very common UA. Without that concern I'd be more than happy to advertise to the internet that I'm using your browser. I will look into it more though; perhaps if my fingerprinting resistance is good enough on other metrics, it may not be necessary to be overly concerned about the UA I am using.

Thanks for taking the time to address my inquiries. I'll try to better vet any suggestions in the future. I have a couple issues I'll post in the tracker. Thanks.

Yes, progress on Privacy Browser PC is going well. You can follow development at https://www.stoutner.com/category/privacy-browser-pc/ or https://fosstodon.org/@privacybrowser or at https://gitweb.stoutner.com/?p=PrivacyBrowserPC.git;a=summary if you want more frequent updates. Yesterday I used it to edit my own website, which was a first.

What engine are you basing the PC browser on? Do you plan to support Windows natively?

Very thankfully (to me at least), X11 support is currently in preview phase on WSL 2. It requires installing experimental vGPU drivers from AMD/nvidia/intel and I haven't dove into that yet. Hopefully this means GUI Linux applications soon, right out of the terminal without the pain of a VM, or hypervisor, or...God forbid...a dual boot, LOL. My years younger self would be very amazed.

In regard to browser engines, I have heard it said by many that Gecko/Firefox is the only one left that isnt privacy compromised and the only one making much of an effort to fight abuses of web technologies like fingerprinting. Do you have a stance on that?

Even though they have the reputation that such is the case, I am not convinced that Gecko really cares about your privacy any more than Blink. I have written a bit about the subject at https://www.stoutner.com/geckoview/.

The rest of your questions are probably better suited for the Privacy Browser PC forum at https://redmine.stoutner.com/projects/privacy-browser-pc/boards. You might want to check out https://www.stoutner.com/privacy-browser-pc-roadmap/ which has some information on the topic.

And another benefit of utilizing stock Android's webview, is the footprint of the app size ✌️

That is true, although when Privacy WebView is released in the 4.x series that will no longer be the case unless someone is using a ROM where Privacy WebView has been installed as the default WebView for the entire system.