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I know how to make java programs on android, and I've yet included Browsers in my programs, but I'm more looking for the kind of extension system (with code in javascript) that we have on our desktop versions of Firefox and Chrome.

Is there something similar on Android ?

My goal would be to port one of my Chrome extensions to Android. Do the Chrome team make something for Android ?

Denys Séguret
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8 Answers8

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You can try Firefox for Android. You can write extensions for it.

Rui Vieira
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  • This looks like a valid answer (I'll accept it later as I would like to see other answer about Chrome). For those looking, I found this URL : https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Fennec/Extensions – Denys Séguret May 31 '11 at 11:52
  • Note, do not use beta/preview/nightly. Extensions are only fully supported on the stable channel! – Ray Foss Aug 10 '20 at 18:00
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    Note, now that the beta has been merged into stable, this applies to all Firefox versions available in the Play Store. If you want to use all extensions, you'll have to find the previous version (v68) and install the apk manually. (e.g here: https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mobile/releases/68.11.0/ ) – Marian Aug 22 '20 at 09:20
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There are not many mobile browsers supporting extension.

Indeed, I have been interested in this question for the last year and I only found Dolphin (as @vvieux wrote) supporting add-ons and other cool features announced few days ago. Firefox Mobile ones look very "simple" for me.

The Dolphin API can be found here with two different approaches as you can see:

  • Add-on (quite simple):

    A Dolphin Add-on is an Android application that interacts with the Dolphin browser to create new functionality. An Add-on can interact with web pages or with browser features such as bookmarks, history, and tabs.

  • Web App accessing "native" features:

    Dolphin gives developers the option of publishing an app, not as a package, but as a thin-client web app for Dolphin users.

As a personal note: I hope to go with the second ones soon.

Community
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Marino Linaje
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Russian company has released Yandex Browser Alpha, based on Chromium, and it accepts desktop Chrome extensions. Opera addons also should work.

Also FireFox for Android supports WebExtensions, which are somewhat compatible with Chrome extensions API.

Stan
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  • Unfortunately, the latest version of Firefox for Android has had extension support removed. They only allow a small limited set of extensions to be installed at present. You cant install your own choice of extensions, the last version of Firefox for Android that allowed free installation of extensions was Firefox 68. Hopefully a future version will allow installation of your own choice of extensions. – user280109 Nov 26 '20 at 11:16
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Yandex Browser supports Chrome Extensions.

SwordSoft Network Official
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Kiwi is a Chrome-based browser that allows extensions. I don't know why no one mentions it. Dolphin and Yandex are from China and Russia

k8C
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Chrome Android doesn't support them. The common workarounds (if you want to still use chrome) are to add a WebView and then inject javascript into that (in branding terms, it "looks" like your own browser but you're just leveraging WebView). Another theoretical possibility is instructing users to create and use a bookmarklet that "does something they want" those do work on chrome, though only if you type their name into the omnibox and run from there. FWIW, that's about all I've found. I suppose if you were truly desperate you might be able to build your own full copy of Chromium and use that, as well (though it would be tricky to include all parts of it like DRM...)

rogerdpack
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Yandex browser supports extensions.But it becomes a bit slow if you add extensions.But it works best when compared with Firefox browser or other stuff.

Sâsī
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There are several extensions in Dolphin Browser

vieux
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    I couldn't find a site explaining how to program those extensions. Do you have a link ? – Denys Séguret May 31 '11 at 11:46
  • I think addon are apk, take a look at this list, download links goes to the market. http://home.dolphin-browser.com/addontheme/addon.aspx?method=getFeaturedPlugins&pkg=mobi.mgeek.tunnybrowser&ver=23 – vieux May 31 '11 at 12:00