Published Jan 19, 2026, 3:00 PM EST
Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer from Ahmedabad, India. As a long-time Windows and Android user, he has extensive knowledge of both operating systems and specializes in creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides.
Pankil has been writing about Windows, Android, and iOS since 2021. He has written over 1200 articles across reputable publications like MakeUseOf, GuidingTech, and TechWiser.
Outside of his writing endeavors, Pankil is an avid football fan and loves to plan his international travels with his wife in his free time.
I love browsing on my phone, but I hate everything that comes with it. Intrusive ads, broken dark modes, and videos that stop the moment you switch apps. One of the things that makes browsing on a PC fun is the third-party extensions. I rely on a few of them, and they fix some of the worst parts of the internet.
To bring that same experience to my Android phone, I use FireFox. It’s one of the best Chrome alternatives that supports extensions. These make browsing on a small screen way more convenient than what you get out of the box.
OS Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
Price model Free
Firefox is a free, open-source web browser developed by Mozilla, focused on speed, privacy, and security for users on all major platforms. It includes advanced features like tabbed browsing, a built-in password manager, private browsing mode, strong tracker blocking, and customization through thousands of extensions and themes.
uBlock Origin
Browsing without noise
I don’t mind seeing ads while browsing, but some websites completely misuse them. You know the ones that show auto-playing videos, pop-ups that chase your scroll, and banners that reload every two seconds. Dealing with this on a mobile browser is way more difficult than it is on a PC.
uBlock Origin is a free, open-source extension that hides ads on all websites. Beyond that, it also blocks trackers, pop-ups, and malicious URLs. This not only makes browsing more peaceful but also helps a page load faster.
uBlock Origin also supports community-maintained filter lists that are constantly updated. And if you want even more control, you can also add your own rules to block specific elements or entire domains.
Bitwarden Password Manager
Stop reusing, start protecting
Most browsers these days offer a built-in password manager, but I have my reasons for avoiding it. Plus, if you’re someone who often switches browsers, using a dedicated password manager is much more convenient.
Bitwarden is an open-source password manager that’s available as an extension on Android. It can securely store all your logins in an encrypted vault, and you can access them on any device. Beyond saving passwords, Bitwarden is also great for generating them and storing two-factor authentication codes.
The best part is that it’s free to use and has zero ads. It does have a premium plan that offers extra features like phishing blocker and secure file attachments, and at $10 a year, it’s one of the most affordable password managers you can find.
Video Background Play Fix
Turn any video into a podcast
Browsing the web isn’t always about reading things. A lot of the time, you might also come across videos that you might want to listen to. This could be interviews, podcasts, lectures, music, or even long tutorials. The problem is that on most mobile browsers, the moment you switch apps or lock your phone, the video pauses.
Video Background Play Fix is a simple extension that fixes it. It forces the video to keep playing even when you minimize the browser or lock the phone. This is great for listening to long-form content without keeping the screen on all the time or using split screen mode. And yes, it even works on YouTube, which means you can listen to videos without YouTube Premium.
I Can’t Use YouTube Without These 6 Extensions
These YouTube browser extensions make your watching experience so much better.
Keepa
Not every “sale” is a deal
If you shop online even a little, you know how misleading those “sale” prices can be. You will see something down 50 to 80 percent off, only to realize that it was cheaper last week, or that the “discount” was never real in the first place. While sites like Amazon have now introduced price tracker, they aren’t available for every product and don’t offer any extra features.
Keepa is a popular price tracker extension that reveals a price history on Amazon. The best part is, it shows a price chart directly on the product page, so you don’t need to open it. There’s even an option to compare prices internationally.
What makes Keepa even better is its alert system. You can set a target price for any product and get notified when it drops to that level. This is by far my biggest reason for using Keepa.
Dark Reader
Goodbye bright pages
Browsing on my phone is something that I do mostly at night. Unfortunately, not every website offers a native dark mode, and staring at bright white pages in a dark room is an instant recipe for eye strain. Even when a site does include a dark theme, the results are often inconsistent.
Dark Reader is an extension that focuses a dark mode on virtually any website you visit. Instead of relying on whatever theme a site provides, Dark Reader gives you a consistent browsing experience across the web.
What I like about it the most is the control it offers. You can fine-tune brightness, contrast, and colors as you like. As someone who loves using dark mode, I can tell you that this matters.
Browsing on a phone doesn’t have to feel limited or frustrating. With these extensions, I get the same control and comfort I get on a PC. Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to these add-ons. You can also pick your own favorites to shape your browsing experience however you like.