browser for old android

[josefn]

Is there a working web browser for android 2.1 with endless support ? Im using a smartphone from 2014 and intend to use it forever. Of course motherf rs from the Google and Co dont like this kind of affairs when people use old equipment decades on (because if everyone started doing that they would not receive money from sales and would have to shut down the company or work for little profit, what obviously they don't like) they want you to buy a new one every year and old one to throw to garbage, to Africa. So under pretense of security they make web browser unfunctional on old systems, renewing java and all other sh t so you cannot log in into stupid mail, google drive or open any site, enter capcha, ect. What i found so far out of huge range of sh t offered today is puffin browser, which later version is supposed to work on 2.3. Is there, can anyone create a good working alternative that would be without stupid security but receive updates on Google tricks to make equipment unfunctional?

 

[svim]

Your cynicism noted but there are also very real security and privacy issues involved when you intentionally opt to use out-of-date hardware and software. It's not just about 'corporations making money through planned obsolescence'. Technology is a actually a very convoluted and always evolving (or devolving) mess so in order to maintain an online presence, we all have to either accept the (numerous) consequences when using dated gadgets, or pay up to keep in the game.

It's not just Google that discontinued supporting software for 2.1, independent developers stopped also stopped a long time ago. And a lot of the online services that our mobile devices interact with are continuously and frequently being upgraded themselves. Outdated gadgets that need to connect to those online services will have more and more problems as they age while the Internet continues to move on.

 

[Hadron]

No app has "endless support" - everything will be abandoned or discontinued at some point.
I have browsers that I've been using since Android 2.2 (I only had 2.1 for a couple of months), e.g. Naked Browser Pro (very minimalistic, last updated late last year). Whether they still work with anything as old as 2.1 I can't say.

In fact, how on Earth are you using 2.1 with a 2014 smartphone? 2.2 came out in the middle of 2010, so who would have made a phone with 2.1 almost 4 years later?

 

[josefn]

I don't have money on new smartphone because in the country where i live 200$ is an annual income that s point n one, and another im against stupid one time use garbage economy. Simple thing s have the right to exist. Their beauty is in simplicity, low cost and long time of service. There is one fantastic developer who is supporting a xp browser called mypal. Maybe there is someone who is doing that for android ? It would make sense for people from allover the world to donate money on such project, and even companies to resume production of old hardware because those early models were just perfect compared to today trash.

 

[josefn]

F ing google is unbelievable. Naked browser,like many others can open most sites, but does not see drive contents.

 

[Hadron]

You'd be surprised how much more expensive it becomes to remake old electronics after a while. Components that have been out of production become costly for the few who really need them, so when building a system that has to run for 10-20 years you make sure you buy the spares you need at the time. And since there would be little interest in re-issued old devices the price becomes even higher (if they aren't made and sold in large volume you lose money on them). So to be honest I don't think you'll persuade any company to remake old phones, and I don't think it would help you if they did.

I'm with you on the throw-away culture, but an operating system from 2010 is going too far. Better to try to adapt a newer version of Android to the old hardware than to hope someone will maintain apps for a few people still using an ancient OS version. Especially since that OS is riddled with security holes, and nobody is going to be patching those.

I'm also with you on fragile devices with sealed-in batteries being a bad idea. But again, that's where the money is so that's what everyone makes - and even the exceptions like Fairphone are expensive compared to the annual income in your country.

 

[Hadron]

F ing google is unbelievable. Naked browser,like many others can open most sites, but does not see drive contents.

Sorry, I've no use for Google Drive so don't know about that ("the cloud" is just a fancy way of saying "somebody else's server", and I don't like to make myself reliant on that type of thing).

 

[josefn]

Also it can't login to box and dropbox.

 

[Davdi]

Why not look a tFeature phones or KaiOS smart-ish phones. Both will be way cheaper than any decent Android phone, and will still have a removable battery.

 

[josefn]

Why not look a tFeature phones or KaiOS smart-ish phones. Both will be way cheaper than any decent Android phone, and will still have a removable battery.

I dont accept the stupid throw away economy. When my old smartphone stopped working i bought the same one new but from 2010 with android 2.1, i like this model . I did not know about this sh t. Naked browser seems perfect, but its latest version 135 does not see google drive and box, which means these ... updated f... ing java. Not clear whether the developer will do the update and when.

 

[Hadron]

Which model of phone is it? It might be possible to update the software (probably using a custom ROM) to something that will give you more browser options, but nobody can say unless we know what model it is.

 

[mikedt]

I dont accept the stupid throw away economy. When my old smartphone stopped working i bought the same one new but from 2010 with android 2.1, i like this model . I did not know about this sh t. Naked browser seems perfect, but its latest version 135 does not see google drive and box, which means these ... updated f... ing java. Not clear whether the developer will do the update and when.

FWIW I use Naked Browser(latest version 135) sometimes, and can access Drive, and other Google sites and services no problem, although I have to use a VPN for Google because of my location. According to the Play Store Naked Browser was last updated August 2019.

 

[Hadron]

Yeah, I just checked and I can log in to Google Drive using NB Pro. So the problem must be in something else in the 2.1 system rather than the browser itself, which also implies that a browser update isn't the solution.

 

[josefn]

I can login to drive using puffin browser however, but it is a coincidence it works here because it's for 4.1+, also old opera still works, i think last days.

 

[josefn]

I can log in, it does not show contents! To dropbox cannot, the fields are grey.

 

[josefn]

[QUwill TE="Hadron, post: 7986668, member: 219218"]Which model of phone is it? It might be possible to update the software [/QUOTE]
It will be a brick. I want to make 2.1 work! Except browser it is a perfect system, has all necessary software.

 

[Hadron]

I can log in, it does not show contents! To dropbox cannot, the fields are grey.

I can see the contents on Google Drive on my phone from that browser. That's why I suspect it's not just the browser here.

I've not used Dropbox for years (never used it much) so can't say about that.

 

[mikedt]

It will be a brick. I want to make 2.1 work! Except browser it is a perfect system, has all necessary software.

Android 2.1, really?

I think what the problem could be, possibly the trusted credential certificates in that ten year old version of Android have now expired. Sites like Google Drive and Dropbox require HTTPS secure connection with valid trusted credentials. And as Android 2.1 hasn't been supported with updates for years now. you might be SOL, unless you can find an updated version of Android for this old phone or tablet.

Good luck!

 

[josefn]

I dont understand anything about programming, but what a browser for old system should have - disabled all certificate related, security sh t, update on latest java ect tricks?

 

[Hadron]

If you disable all "securty shit" might that not result in some sites not working?

 

[mikedt]

I dont understand anything about programming, but what a browser for old system should have - disabled all certificate related, security sh t, update on latest java ect tricks?

Well if that's done, any sites that mandate a HTTPS secure connection will not work. that's it. And good luck, you're on your own.

Using Android 2.1 to browse the Internet in 2020, is rather like still trying to use Windows XP with Internet Explorer 6, many sites are just not going to support it.

 

[josefn]

Using Android 2.1 to browse the Internet in 2020, is rather like still trying to use Winimdows XP with Internet Explorer 6, many sites are just not going to support it.

Im using xp with mypal browser, which is based on palemoon; how there it is possible ?

 

[mikedt]

Im using xp with mypal browser, which is based on palemoon; how there it is possible ?

I still think it could be an expired trusted credential certificate problem with that ten year old Android 2.1 phone or tablet you're trying to use. Reasons possibly, I believe XP still received updates until 2015, and they haven't expired yet, or the Mypal and Palemoon browsers are using their own trusted credentials for HTTPS, independent of the OS.

BTW be vary careful about using Windows XP online, as it hasn't been patched for security problems for five years now. I just don't use Windows at all, too much risks.

 

[josefn]

BTW be vary careful about using Windows XP online, as it hasn't been patched for security problems for five years now. I just don't use Windows at all, too much risks.

You people are amazing! Risks for what? To begin with, who are hackers? Unemployed bums sitting on garbage dump in asia or e Europe or robots sending spam and viruses? An unemployed bum does not know programming and computers and they don't have access to electricity; even if they break into my system what they will find here? Some personal stuff? Or they will delete files and folders to do as much damage to a random computer and system? All important is backed up on another drive! So what can they do?

 

[ocnbrze]

You people are amazing! Risks for what? To begin with, who are hackers? Unemployed bums sitting on garbage dump in asia or e Europe or robots sending spam and viruses? An unemployed bum does not know programming and computers and they don't have access to electricity; even if they break into my system what they will find here? Some personal stuff? Or they will delete files and folders to do as much damage to a random computer and system? All important is backed up on another drive! So what can they do?

you are right we are AMAZING!!!!!! THANX

@mikedt is just warning of the possible threat xp now posses. no need to be rude about it.