Over the years, I’ve slowly moved away from Google’s products and services. Google Photos and Gmail are the only two I use regularly now. However, Proton Mail and its related apps might be what I need to make the switch.
Replacing each Google product necessitated a change in my workflow, but moving away from Chrome had the biggest impact.
I’ve tried a few times to switch from Chrome with no success. Zen Browser didn’t capture my attention with its novel UI, and Firefox has experienced a significant decline in reliability since the start of 2024.
It wasn’t until I switched to the privacy-first browser LibreWolf that I finally ditched Chrome. Here’s why.
Why I ditched Chrome for good
Performance, privacy, and Gemini
I’ve long been aware of some of Chrome’s biggest issues, but I struggled to make the switch. It was sheer convenience that kept me around, but I finally caved because of three issues.
The first issue was Chrome’s poor performance. I regularly have at least 20 tabs open at any time, and the impact was starting to affect my work while multitasking.
Last year, Chrome for desktop implemented Performance Detection monitoring, which helped me identify which tabs were hogging resources and quickly shut them down.
However, it didn’t fix the issue as Chrome was still using far more memory than other browsers in my tests. I had a choice of either upgrading the amount of RAM on my computer or switching browsers.
The second reason was Gemini. While I’ve found a few ways I can effectively use AI, I am frustrated by Google’s insistence on cramming Gemini into its products and services.
It’s already made my Pixel experience frustrating, and now Chrome is in Google’s crosshairs.
The first implementation of Gemini is innocent enough. It’s a small button in the upper-right corner of the Chrome window that opens the AI assistant.
However, Google has laid out plans to automate the browser with AI. I’m unconvinced by the future of agentic AI, so to me this is all just bloat on top of an already bloated browser.
The third reason was privacy concerns. I’m tired of searching for anything, then receiving an avalanche of targeted ads tangentially related to my search.
It’s an irritating reminder of how much data tech companies store on me, and I’m done with it.
LibreWolf is the most convenient privacy-first browser
It is just as convenient to use as Chrome
If you want the most secure browsing experience, Tor or Mullvad are your best choices.
However, I find that this level of protection interferes with my browsing. I still want a user-friendly and convenient browsing experience, and these browsers are not enjoyable to use for me.
LibreWolf is a Firefox fork, but don’t worry. The privacy controversies plaguing Firefox stem from decisions made by Mozilla, not from the Firefox codebase.
The LibreWolf team has built its Firefox fork to be privacy-first from the ground up. You can check out a full list of LibreWolf’s signature features on its website, but here are the top five features that stood out to me:
- Deletes cookies and website data on close
- Comes with uBlock Origin and DuckDuckGo preinstalled
- Disables form autofill
- Disables media autoplay
- Lacks search suggestions and ads in the URL bar
As LibreWolf comes with uBlock Origin and DuckDuckGo preinstalled, I didn’t have to delve into third-party extensions, the settings app, and developer tools to configure LibreWolf’s privacy settings.
Everything was set up for secure browsing from the get-go.
LibreWolf also introduces fantastic quality-of-life features, like disabling media autoplay. But the foundation of it all is the framework of the Firefox web browser.
Despite my privacy concerns, Firefox is still one of the cleanest web browsers around. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to Chrome.
The best alternative to Chrome on Android
Look beyond the Play Store
My biggest problem with LibreWolf at the start was that it didn’t offer an Android app.
However, the developers recommend IronFox, a similar browser for Android available via Accrescent, F-Droid, and Obtainium. IronFox is, for all intents and purposes, LibreWolf for Android.
The LibreWolf developers have confirmed they have no plans to invest in an Android app, so I’m sticking with IronFox for now.
I used Firefox Sync with LibreWolf and IronFox. Firefox Sync encrypts your data locally. It won’t compromise your privacy.
Just like LibreWolf, IronFox comes with uBlock Origin and DuckDuckGo preinstalled.
Firefox-forked browsers are the best for privacy-first browsing
Despite Mozilla’s abandonment of the privacy-first principles that made its browser popular, Firefox is the best place to start if you’re looking for a privacy-first alternative to Chrome.
LibreWolf is my favorite Firefox fork, but Waterfox is another fantastic alternative. If you want to shake things up even more, Floorp and Zen introduce novel UI ideas.
