Cromite is a privacy-focused browser built as a fork of Chromium that embeds a network-level content blocking engine to intercept advertisements, pop-ups, and tracking scripts before they reach the page. It applies community-maintained public filter lists directly within the browser, eliminating the need for external extensions, and uses a curated patch system applied to the Chromium source tree at build time to add or modify features without maintaining a separate codebase.
The browser is hardened against tracking and data leakage through a comprehensive set of privacy and security measures. It blocks browser fingerprinting by disabling or spoofing dozens of APIs including Canvas, WebGL, WebRTC, and the GamePad API, and prevents Google data collection by disabling all communication with Google servers for metrics, sync, translation, autofill, and updates. Additional protections include enforcing HTTPS connections, blocking third-party cookies, stripping URL tracking parameters, partitioning network state by site, and preventing WebRTC IP leakage. Users can enforce strict site isolation, disable JavaScript JIT compilation, and control certificate acceptance, while per-site permission overrides allow granular management of autoplay, cookies, JavaScript, and other features.
Cromite offers extensive configuration and customization options, exposing Chromium's internal feature flags through the UI so users can toggle individual browser capabilities without recompiling. It supports user script execution on Android, native Android autofill, bookmark import and export, and interface customization including toolbar position and tab management. The browser can be set to permanent incognito mode, clearing all session data on restart, and includes a privacy-first default configuration that disables telemetry, network predictions, and other privacy-invasive features at first launch.
The project provides a Docker-based build pipeline for Android, Linux, and Windows targets, with automated testing and automatic updates on Android. It is available for installation via an official F-Droid repository.
