Privacy Browser Android

Just updating you ...

I mistakenly killed 10 tabs in the last 6 days. Can you at least allow us to do what every browser in the world does ? When at the top of the history, the back button is greyed out and does nothing. Just make your back arrow do nothing under 'top of the history' condition. Or allow us this choice.

The system back button should always do something in Android. It is unacceptable to have it not do anything. In addition, if a user taps the system back button enough times the final result should always be closing the app and going back to the launcher screen.

On Google Chrome, for example, the system back button navigates backwards in the tab history. If the tab it at the top of its history, then it closes the app.

The only difference between Google Chrome and Privacy Browser in this regard is that Privacy Browser does not save browsing data when it is closed. This is according to Privacy Browser's core privacy principles as described at https://www.stoutner.com/privacy-browser-android/core-privacy-principles/. "From time to time I receive requests to add features to Privacy Browser that automatically store comprehensive histories across reboots or restore tabs on a restart. Although I can see the usefulness of such features, I am opposed to anything that automatically stores a browsing history just by engaging in normal browsing behaviors. Doing so makes it easy for malicious apps or devices made by companies like Cellebrite to extract browsing history from user devices without consent. As such, these type of features are unlikely to ever be implemented."

I suggest that Privacy Browser should warn the user before closing a tab (make it optional).

Toast Press BACK button again to close this tab

I'm not asking for any message. Simply ignore Back button if at top of history for this tab. I have the 'X' if I want to close tab.

As mentioned previously, the back button should never do nothing in Android. You can read more about how the system back button should behave at the following URLs:

https://developer.android.com/guide/navigation/navigation-principles

https://developer.android.com/guide/navigation/navigation-custom-back

https://developer.android.com/guide/components/activities/tasks-and-back-stack

Just looking now in a tab. Can't even tell on-screen that I am at the top of the history (so I can avoid an unintended closure of the tab). How about an Undo dialog .. that's in Chromium isn't it ?

I think the core of the issue is that the system back button is supposed to get whatever you are currently looking at on the screen off the screen. You are tapping the system back button but then being surprised when it does exactly what it is supposed to do. Irrespective of whatever value there is in implementing an undo option, after reading all of what has been posted here I come away convinced that the system back button is doing exactly what is should do in Privacy Browser.

I don't think it would be a good idea to add a number to the tab because I think it clutters the interface. However, your comment got me thinking about the possibility of a visual indicator that back will close a tab. Perhaps it would work to change the tab background to a different color. I would have to think through a color change that wouldn't be too distracting, but I generally like the idea.

The problem of using the same color is that if a user enables a proxy, the whole app bar (including all the tabs) switches to the "proxy" color, then the user wants to go back, (s)he reaches the top of the history, the background of the tab changes its color, but, the color being the same, the user is unable to see the difference.

What about using some kind of darker, not flashy, yellow, to indicate a warning?

Currently the whole app bar background changes color when a proxy is used. But it would be fairly easy to only change the background of the URL bar and let the background of the individual tabs indicate if they will close on Back.

I am not sure how well this would work, or if it would feel distracting to have a patchwork of tab colors. It might look distracting. I would probably have to fully implement the idea and test it out for a while to even have a sense if it would be a good solution.

If only the background color of the URL bar, and not the whole app bar, changes, when a proxy is selected, then it's OK for me.

I made the above suggestion about the yellow color only if the "proxy color" has to continue painting the whole app bar's background.

So I'm pretty in favour of your idea to use the same color on different app bar's areas.