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Samsung Expands In-house Web Browser To Windows (sammobile.com) 39

Posted by msmash from the fwiw dept.
An anonymous reader shares a report: The biggest benefit Samsung Internet on a desktop operating system will provide is the syncing of browsing data between your phone and PC, the lack of which has prevented many users from using Samsung Internet as their primary browser app on their phones and tablets. Unfortunately, Samsung hasn't yet implemented full-fledged sync support on Samsung Internet for Windows. While you can log in with your Samsung account, only browsing history, bookmarks, saved pages and open tabs can be synced at this time. Password syncing is not available, which hopefully won't remain the case for long.

The first time you run Samsung Internet on Windows, you can import browsing history, bookmarks/favorites, and search engines from other browsers, including Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. You can also import bookmarks using an HTML file. As for other features, Samsung Internet on Windows has ad blocker support, a secret (incognito) mode, extension support, light and dark mode themes, and a few others. Since Samsung Internet is based on the open-source Chromium project like Chrome and Microsoft Edge, it should support extensions and add-ons that work on those browsers.
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Samsung Expands In-house Web Browser To Windows More

Samsung Expands In-house Web Browser To Windows

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  • I swear my S21 had Chrome on it from the get go (I could be wrong).

    If it's Bixby or anything like that, I've seen that but ignore it with prejudice.

    I'm also not sure if the world needs more browsers (more security holes maybe, unless everything is Chromium at this point).

    • Re:Samsung has a browser? (Score:4)

      by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Wednesday November 29, 2023 @10:36AM (#64040975) Homepage Journal

      They don't. They have a skin on Chromium like everyone else.

      It would be actual news if someone actually released an actually different browser.

      • Indeed. On the Galaxy S / Galaxy A series the Samsung browser is significant because unlike Chrome it supports adblockers. But on Windows where Chrome/Edge/everyotherchromeclone has this feature, what's the point.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by xack ( 5304745 )
      It has purple planet icon, it is preinstalled on my Samsung tablet. They also allow the installation of it on non Samsung devices.

    • I ignore any and all of the Samsung branded apps. I have a feeling they don't realize nobody is using their browser because nobody wants to, not because it doesn't sync with desktop. But it was probably low hanging fruit to apply a skin to the desktop Chromium browser so you can sync your data with Samsung. Again, why would you want to do that? https://techcrunch.com/2023/11... [techcrunch.com]

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by crow ( 16139 )

        I fear you're falling into the fallacy of projecting your own situation onto the typical user. I expect there is a huge portion of users that will just use whatever is preinstalled on their phone and never think about it. If that weren't true, Samsung wouldn't get huge money for preinstalling a bunch of junk on each phone they sell.

        That said, I'm with you on this for the most part. I do use their camera app, as I wouldn't expect some other app to fully take advantage of the hardware. I also use their cl

      • Yep, I have a folder of "Samdung" apps (and a different one of "Gooble" apps) on my S-whatever, and have had since walking out of the store with it. They're there just in case something happens where I have to use the company mandated application instead of the one I choose to use.

        My very limited experience with it ("Samdung Internet") indeed suggests that it is just a skin over chrome- or whatever it is that Gooble provide.

        The biggest benefit Samsung Internet on a desktop operating system will provide is

    • I use it because I don't want to use Chrome.

      • If you use "Samsung Internet", you ARE using Chrom*

        If you want to be different and support open platforms and open standards, while lessening Google's control, then use Firefox.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by _merlin ( 160982 )

          Samsung Internet doesn't do data mining for Google and doesn't waste battery in the background like Chrome for Android does. I can disable Chrome and my phone performs a whole lot better. I realise it's still using Blink to render pages, but that's not the primary reason I don't want to use Chrome on my phone. I use Firefox on my PC (as I am now), but it performs like shit on Android and isn't worth it.

          • It is true that they kinda messed up Firefox on Android. Hopefully it will return to being just as nice as Firefox on the desktop.

            I rarely browse on a phone anyway. Very sub-optimal experience regardless of what device or software.

          • Samsung Internet doesn't do data mining for Google

            Chromium still does data mining for google unless it's successfully de-googled (google it, it's a thing) and I don't trust Samsung to be that competent.

    • >"I'm also not sure if the world needs more browsers (more security holes maybe, unless everything is Chromium at this point)."

      No, what we don't need are any more Chrom* browsers. The world needs actual choice and the ability to resist Google's control. The only option left is Firefox, now (unless you use Apple stuff, and then you have Firefox and Safari).

  • You got your Samsung in my Windows! (Score:4, Funny)

    by byronivs ( 1626319 ) on Wednesday November 29, 2023 @10:32AM (#64040957) Journal
    Throws both in trash.

    • Ah yes, just what the world was asking for. The Samsung crapware that cannot be removed from your smartphone, now available on your PC! I hope they release a Linux version next!

  • Unlike Apple here we have two giants (Samsung & Microsoft) fighting to control the user's data - and you can add Google into the mix. Of course all of them are using proprietary protocols to erect walls around their data silos. That's why you'll always have an unstable mess with end-users lost between those "solutions".
    • Isn't Google king of the hill on cross-platform browser data sync? Samsung and Microsoft want a spot at the table but despite being installed by default on lots of hardware they are the wannabes here.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by crow ( 16139 )

        Probably, but I got kicked off the Google sync by running Chromium instead of Chrome. Or maybe it was just not using their official builds.

      • I thought Firefox was.
        They have been offering sync (by several names) far longer.

        https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/... [mozilla.org]

        All while also denying them a tiny bit less control over forcing their "standards"

    • From the EULAs I've seen, I'd stay the hell away.
      Samsung makes clear that it will collect and use absolutely every bit of your data that it touches and sees no legal impediments to doing so.

      That's not to say MS, Apple, and Google don't also try to snarf up your data. But at least they pay lip service to things like the California Data Privacy Act...

      • >"From the EULAs I've seen, I'd stay the hell away. Samsung makes clear that it will collect and use absolutely every bit of your data that it touches and sees no legal impediments to doing so. That's not to say MS, Apple, and Google don't also try to snarf up your data. "

        Meanwhile, Firefox Sync (if you choose to use that optional feature) says: "All your data is encrypted on our servers so we canâ(TM)t read it â" only you can access it. We donâ(TM)t sell your info to advertisers because

  • Have you tried w3m and seamonkey?

  • Samsung has the power to influence browser development, I hope they don't just be lazy and leave their browser as Chromium with a purple icon. They could have have "thought different" and made a Webkit or Gecko version of their browser instead, or even Servo or Ladybird.

    • >"Still enforcing Chromium's monopoly"

      Yep. At this point pretty much *ALL* multiplatform browsers that are not Firefox are "Chrom*" and thus grant additional power and control to Google to control the web.

      If you want syncing and also want to resist the new "IE Only" era, then download Firefox and use the optional "Sync" feature:

      https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/... [mozilla.org]

    • ... don't just be lazy ...

      Once upon a time, Samsung had their own version of Android (for mobile computing). They stopped maintaining it, switched to stock-standard Android, and began 'competing' with Google's client software.

  • just another chrome instance... just as useless as the others

  • Looks like they did no work on the UI end, and looks like a Chromium Snap that's installed on my Ubuntu laptops. Might be good for Samsung users who would like to keep their things in sync with their phone.
  • Firefox does that already and doesn't suck. I trust Mozilla more than Samsung or Chrome.
  • How much did they pay to get this posted on /.?

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