Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The developer behind the well-received Kiwi Browser for Android has revealed that the app is effectively shutting down.
- The app has been pulled from the Play Store and will no longer be maintained after January.
- Fortunately, the developer revealed that Kiwi’s support for extensions has been ported to Microsoft Edge Canary.
Chrome is the most popular web browser on Android, but it’s fair to say that it lags behind the desktop version in several ways. Perhaps the most notable omission is extension support. I resorted to using the great Kiwi Browser years ago owing to its support for Chrome extensions, but there’s bad news if you were a fan of this app like me.
According to the Kiwi Discord channel (via r/android), the browser has now been “archived” and will no longer be maintained after this month. Indeed, the app no longer shows up on the Google Play Store. Developer Arnaud42 noted that people who “really need” Kiwi can download the app via this Github link, but warned users not to trust other sources.
Extension support will live on in Edge (wait, what?)
The developer also surprisingly noted that Kiwi’s code for extension support has been integrated into Microsoft Edge Canary for Android. However, this feature requires you to enable developer options (tapping the Edge build number several times) and then visiting developer options > Extension install by ID.
It also doesn’t seem like extension support in Microsoft’s browser is as straightforward as Kiwi, requiring you to paste the extension’s ID (e.g. “cnlefmmeadmemmdciolhbnfeacpdfbkd” for Grammarly) into the ‘Extension install by id’ field. By contrast, Kiwi lets you install add-ons directly from the Chrome Web Store or via a downloaded file.
In a subsequent series of Discord messages, the developer also explained that browsers were complex to maintain and required a long commitment, adding that the project started because he personally wanted extensions on mobile.
Nevertheless, we’re glad to see Kiwi’s best feature will effectively live on in another browser. Edge wouldn’t be the only Android web browser with extension support, though, as the likes of Firefox and Samsung Internet offer support. Now, about Chrome getting browser support on Android phones.
