When you're using your smartphone, it's not easy to stay away from prying eyes. Websites, businesses, hackers, and governments all want to track every move you make online.

Given that your browser is one of the most significant ways in which you leak data, it makes sense to switch to a privacy-focused alternative if you're serious about taking back control.

1. DuckDuckGo

Available on: Android, iOS

Is there a more obvious place to start the list than with DuckDuckGo? The company began life as a search engine, but now makes a great private browser for both Android and iOS.

The browser automatically blocks all third-party cookies to keep you safe from ad networks and forces sites to use encrypted connections, if available. Needless to say, DuckDuckGo doesn't store any information about your browsing habits.

You'll also find a privacy grade alongside each site. The grading runs from A-F, and helps you decide whether you can safely visit the domain.

Download: Duck Duck Go for Android | iOS (Free)

2. Ghostery Privacy Browser

Available on: Android, iOS

Ghostery is well-known as a must-have Chrome extension if you want to protect your privacy. The extension can manage ad networks, remove junk code off websites, and speed up the browsing experience.

The features of the Chrome extension have translated well into a browser experience. The browser lets you manage a site's trackers on a granular basis, uses "smart blocking" technology to flag dangerous web pages, and has a Ghost Mode that blocks all outbound personal data.

Ghostery is available on Android devices, as well as iPhones and iPads.

Download: Ghostery for Android | iOS (Free)

3. SecureWeb Browser

Available on: Android, iOS

Webroot makes SecureWeb Browser; a company famous for its anti-virus suite and web security tools.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, the company's smartphone browser offers cutting edge anti-virus technology. It includes real-time protection against malicious website's thanks to Webroot's database, and password management across all your devices.

Download: SecureWeb Browser for Android | iOS (Free)

4. Red Onion

Available on: iPhone and iPad

Let's switch tack and have a look at some browsers that let you access the Tor network and the dark web.

When browsing the internet using Tor-based browsers, your information is run through an onion network, thus making you exceptionally difficult (though not impossible) to track and identify.

If you own an iPhone or an iPad, you should check out Red Onion. It lets you access the entire web (even if it's blocked on a network). From a privacy standpoint, Red Onion will reset all your browsing data when you restart the app.

Other features include a passcode lock, an audio extractor (MP4 > MP3), and support for IPTV via M3U8 streams and playlists.

Download: Red Onion for iOS

5. Orbot

Available on: Android

If you're running Android, check out Orbot instead. It's a Tor proxy app that lets you access the network.

Perhaps the most unique feature of Orbot is its support for all apps on your device---they can all use Orbot to access the web via Tor rather than using the regular internet.

Your browsing data and history is entirely private; neither Orbot nor other websites will be able to track you.

Of course, now that the official Android version of Tor is out, you can use that, too. For more help with this version and Orbot, here's our guide to using Tor on Android.

Download: Orbot for Android (Free)

6. Frost

Available on: Android

Let's finish with a few more typical private browsers for Android, iPhones, and iPads.

First up is Frost on Android. It's one of the most popular private browsers on the operating system, and with good reason.

Some of the app's top features include automatically wiping all your data when you close it, a built-in ad network manager, and a popup blocker.

Uniquely, Frost also offers a secret vault. You can use it to save your images and bookmarks, thus keeping them out of the eyes of other users. In addition to being hidden, the vault is also password-protected.

Lastly, Frost does not allow users to take screenshots of the browser.

Download: Frost for Android (Free)

7. InBrowser

Available on: Android, iOS

InBrowser has been around for a long time; I remember using way back in the early days on Android (though there's also an iOS version).

I still love it after all these years. The introduction of Tor support was inspired, and it now offers a one-stop shop for both the regular web and the dark web.

(Note: You need to have Orbot installed if you want to use the app's Tor features.)

Aside from Tor support, InBrowser also provides robust privacy features. Most notably, it doesn't save any of your data between sessions. As soon as you tap the Home, Exit, or Close button, the app will wipe your history and browsing information.

InBrowser offers four integrated search engines: DuckDuckGo, StartPage, Bing, Google, and Yahoo. DuckDuckGo and StartPage are among some of the most secure search engines on the web.

Download: InBrowser for Android | iOS (Free)

8. Firefox Focus

Available on: Android, iOS

Firefox Focus is Mozilla's attempt at creating a private browser.

If you prefer to use products from larger tech companies with recognizable brand names, Firefox Focus is an excellent choice. The brand recognition has also led to the app instantly becoming one of the most popular private browsers on both mobile platforms.

The browser will not save your passwords, and it does not accept cookies or trackers. The presence of an ad blocker means that Firefox Focus can offer faster page loading times than most regular browsers like Google Chrome.

Firefox Focus is available on both Android and iOS. It works on both iPhones and iPads.

Download: Firefox Focus for Android | iOS (Free)

Always Keep a Private Browser Installed

Private browsers aren't always suitable; apps like Chrome and Safari can offer hundreds of features that privacy-focused browsers cannot.

However, being in control of your data is an integral part of surfing the web---there are always times that it's better to explore in private. When those times arise, you should immediately switch to one of the apps we discussed.

If you would like to learn more about keeping yourself safe on the web, check out our article about anonymous desktop browsers that are completely private. As a privacy-conscious person, you might also be interested in Librem One, a set of online services driven by open source code.