The Tor Project ships an official Tor Browser for Android. It works for basic .onion browsing, but mobile Tor has weaker OPSEC than desktop — notifications, shared devices, and app isolation all add risk. For Drughub sessions that involve login credentials or wallet access, desktop Tor at Safest is the better choice.
Get Tor Browser from torproject.org, Google Play, or F-Droid. The Tor Project Android guide lists all three. Avoid APK mirrors — modified builds have appeared on third-party sites.
Launch the app. Wait for the connection status to show Tor is active before loading any page. If it hangs, try bridges — see our bridges guide.
Settings → Security Level → Safest. The Tor Browser Manual defines the same three levels on mobile as desktop. Most users leave Standard on by default — change it before any .onion session. Details in our security levels guide.
Copy from our homepage, paste into the address bar, check for trailing spaces. Bookmark inside Tor Browser — not in Chrome or Samsung Internet.
Apple restrictions prevent the Tor Project from shipping a full Tor Browser on iPhone the way it does on Android. Apps like Onion Browser exist but are not maintained by the Tor Project and do not offer the same security slider or update cadence. The mobile Tor manual covers what is available per platform — read it before assuming iOS parity.
Orbot routes other apps' traffic through Tor. It does not replace Tor Browser for .onion sites. Unless you understand per-app proxy configuration, use Tor Browser directly for hidden services. The Tor Project documents Orbot separately from Tor Browser for Android.
Android shows notification previews on the lock screen. Switching between apps can leave Tor Browser in the background with your session visible in the recents tray. Desktop Tor in a dedicated session avoids phone-specific leaks.
Family phones, work profiles, and carrier-installed apps run alongside Tor Browser. A dedicated desktop or Tails USB isolates the session better than a phone you carry everywhere.
Mobile keyboards often sync learned words to the cloud. Copying an onion address or seed phrase on a phone risks more exposure than on an offline desktop setup.
Mobile screen dimensions are a fingerprinting vector, same as desktop window size. Tor Project guidance on fingerprinting applies to both — but mobile has fewer mitigation options.
Official documentation behind the recommendations on this page.