Samsung Internet Beta v17 adds Web Authentication API with support for security keys

We’re playing catch-up here, but better late than never

Samsung’s custom browser app is an alternative to Chrome, which many people use simply because it’s pre-loaded on their Samsung phones. But anyone can download Samsung Internet, and you might want to check out the latest beta if you’re the private type, peeking out at the web from behind your VPN. The in-development v17 release includes privacy and functional improvements, like some tweaks for Samsung’s AI-powered Smart Anti Tracking and long-overdue Web Authentication support.

Samsung’s Smart Anti Tracking is actually a collection of privacy measures that first appeared last year. It uses on-device machine learning to scramble tracking cookies, block malicious ads, and so on. In v17, this feature will now nuke all the cookies on your device on a weekly basis, although I don’t think you need AI to do this. Samsung also says it has made Smart Anti Tracking the default for devices in the USA, Korea & Europe. If you want to shut it off, you can still do so in the settings. Also in a privacy vein, v17 makes HTTPS the default for browsing the web, and there’s a new privacy board on the quick access page (below), which shows all the ways your browser protects your privacy.

The Web Authentication API makes it much easier for sites to manage login tokens, contributing to better security overall. Chrome picked up support ages ago, as did Firefox, and with this beta it’s finally time for Samsung to catch up. The browser supports third-party hardware security keys, or just using your phone itself to authenticate.

This latest build offers a handful of UX improvements, as well. If you juggle a lot of tabs, you’ll be happy to hear the browser now supports custom tab groups, which you can organize with simple drag-and-drop. You can select text in images with the new built-in Live Text feature. Just long-press, select Live Text, and the phone identifies and copies the words to your clipboard.

Unlike most app betas, you don’t need to go through a whole rigamarole to join. Samsung has a separate app listing for Internet Beta, which is available in the Play Store (below) or the Samsung Galaxy Store.

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