Browsers / Webview

A properly functioning Android system requires the use of a "webview". Chromium-based browsers may also provide this webview

Robotnix can also build chromium-based browsers from source. We currently package Chromium, Bromite, and Vanadium for use with robotnix.

Chromium is an open-source browser project that aims to build a safer, faster, and more stable way for all users to experience the web.

Bromite is a Chromium fork with ad blocking and enhanced privacy.

Vanadium is a privacy and security hardened variant of Chromium providing the WebView (used by other apps to render web content) and standard browser for GrapheneOS. It depends on hardening and compatibility fixes in GrapheneOS rather than reinventing the wheel inside Vanadium

The following shows the available options for chromium. The corresponding options for vanadium and bromite are similar.

{
  apps.chromium.enable = true;
  webview.chromium.enable = true;
  webview.chromium.availableByDefault = true; # At least one webview must be availableByDefault
  webview.chromium.isFallback = true; # If true, this provider will be disabled and only used if no others are available. At most one webview can be isFallback.
}

If multiple webview providers are included in a build, it is possible to select the one used on a running phone under "Settings -> System -> Developer Options -> Webview implementation".

The Vanilla and LineageOS flavors enable the standard Chromium browser and webview by default. The GrapheneOS flavor enables Vanadium browser and webview by default.