NEWS FLASH! You can now surf the Dark Web on your phone. The Tor Project has launched their mobile version for their browser. Android smartphones can use the dark web after following certain steps at first.
Well, the official mobile browser is still in its beta mode. It, thus, depends on the installation of Orbot. Orbot is a Tor proxy meant for Android. There are other Tor browsers for Android, such as Orfox. However, this is the first Android mobile browser developed by the Tor Project.
Without any further ado, let’s focus on how to use the dark web on your phone.
The Tor Browser
You can download the Tor browser from Google Play Store. And while you do that, make sure you download the Orbot Tor Proxy as well.
Orbot connects your phone to the Tor network. Using the Tor browser, you have the liberty to visit the .onion links. Following that, you can browse the Internet anonymously.
It is vital to start the Orbot Tor Proxy by pressing “Start.” This helps you connect to the Tor network prior to opening the browser. Once done, you can start up the Tor browser for Android and hit your desired dark web website. If the browser loads the page, you’ve been successful in connecting to the Tor network.
Make sure you install both the applications on your phone to get started.
Browsing The Dark Web
You can use the Tor browser like a normal browser as well. The benefit will be that Tor will route the traffic and keep you anonymous. The main bonus is, you can access the dark web.
The typical search engines do not index the deep web, but the dark web needs special authorization with specific software to access it.
The dark web is a hub for standard platforms like cryptocurrency exchanges, forums, Facebook, and more. But it is also the platform for drug marketplaces, hacking services, and illegal pornography.
You must be well aware that the dark web contains a huge content of illicit material. This means many criminal activities are going on such sites due to the anonymous nature of the websites.
You can start browsing the dark web on your phone by navigating through TheHiddenWiki. It contains lists of several .onion URLs. .onion URLs are special web addresses that take you to the websites hosted in the dark web websites. You cannot access these websites using other browsers.
Endnotes
With these essentials to follow, you’ll be on track to browsing the dark web on your phone. Make sure to maintain the necessary precautions while you do that. While surfing the dark web on your phone is possible and legal, rare possibilities are you may be subjected to illicit content or online breaches as well.