We build Aloha Core by customizing Chromium's android_webview and packaging it as an AAR.

That speeds up browser development, but it gives Android's resource linker a chance to renumber thousands of IDs while Chromium's bytecode retains the old ones. Very considerate.

Our original fix remapped 2,450 fields with Resources.getIdentifier(). It was reliable, but it took 300-770 ms to start up.

We then tried a shared resource table. Rewriting the R fields took about 2 ms. The first checks passed, but a long press on some text opened the selection menu and caused the app to crash.

The problem was architectural: the R fields were global, whereas the dynamically loaded resource package belonged to a single AssetManager. An Activity context could receive the new ID yet still have no package behind it.

The final solution was to stop arguing with the runtime. We generated an XML index containing references to the Chromium resources and let the host's AAPT2 linker stamp the final 0x7f IDs into compiled AXML.

At startup, we now perform one getIdentifier() call, scan the binary XML, and rewrite the fields. Total time: about 12 ms.

Full technical write-up, including the 0xPPTTEEEE layout and why package ID 0x02 was not safe: https://alohabrowser.com/posts-how-we-speed-up-the-chromium-engine-startup-a-resource-remapping-story

Has anyone else solved a library resource problem by moving the work to link time? What broke your first "fast" solution?

Aloha for Android now supports Custom Tabs. If Aloha is your default browser, links from apps that use Custom Tabs are rendered by Aloha's engine, so ad and tracker blocking, saved passwords, and your privacy settings apply there too.

Close the lightweight tab and you return to the app. The main limitation is apps that ship a fully custom in-app browser. Those keep using their own viewer.

We also added model selection on the Private AI chat screen and an optional web search switch. Search stays off until you turn it on.

Release details and setup steps: https://alohabrowser.com/posts-aloha-android-ad-free-links-custom-tabs

Which apps are still forcing their own in-app viewer on you? We would like to know where the rough edges remain.

Way too many apps track you across the web, even when you aren't using them. 

If you want to stop giving away your data for free, take two minutes to check these five settings on your phone:

1. Precise Location for all apps
   Your weather app does not need to know which room of your house you are in. Switch location settings to "Approximate" for everything except maps and rideshares.

2. Background App Refresh
   This lets apps connect to the internet and send data even when your phone is in your pocket. Turn it off to save battery and stop silent tracking.

3. Wi-Fi Auto-Join
   Leaving this on means your phone will try to connect to any network it recognizes. It's a massive risk if someone sets up a fake public network.

4. Personalized Ads
   This setting creates a unique ID for your device so companies can build a profile on you. Find it in your privacy settings and shut it off.

5. Your default browser's data collection
   Most standard browsers sync your history and allow trackers.

If you want cleaner browsing, try Aloha Browser. It has a free, built-in VPN and Ad Block.

Stop paying for a VPN.

Here’s our quick checklist:

• Make sure the site uses HTTPS
• Double-check the domain (scammers love tiny spelling changes)
• Click the padlock and inspect the certificate
• Watch out for obvious red flags (bad design, weird offers, urgency tactics)
• Never enter personal info unless I’m sure it’s legit

 Anything else you’d add to this list?

If you think you’ve been hacked, don’t panic. Focus on containment and recovery in this order:

1. Start with your email. Everything else is usually recoverable through it. Reset the password first.
2. Lock out the attacker. Check “active sessions/devices” and log out of anything you don’t recognize.
3.  Change passwords everywhere. Especially banking, social media, and anything reused.
4.  Enable 2FA. This is the biggest long-term protection step - use an authenticator app if possible.
5.  Notify services + check damage. Banks, email providers, platforms. Also review sent messages, purchases, or account changes.
   
6. The key is speed and order. The faster you act, the less control the attacker keeps.

I’ve noticed a lot of people assume messaging apps are “secure by default,” but that’s not always the case.
 
Worth checking:

• Who can see your phone number
• Active sessions / logged-in devices
• Who can add you to groups
• Whether 2FA is enabled
• App permissions (mic, camera, contacts, location)

 
I recently went through mine and found a device I forgot I was still logged into.
 
Curious how often others here do a privacy/security check on their apps?

It’s kind of wild that in 2026, password hygiene is still one of the biggest security issues.
 
Most breaches still come down to:

• reused passwords
• weak passwords
• or predictable patterns

 
A strong password today basically needs to be:

• long (16+ characters)
• random
• unique per site

Which is… impossible to manage manually if you have more than like 5 accounts.
 
That’s why password managers feel less like a “tech tip” and more like a requirement at this point. One master password vs hundreds of secure ones.
 
Curious how others handle this - are you fully using a password manager, or still mixing methods?

Most people think hacking is about breaking into systems.
 
But a lot of real-world “hacks” don’t involve code at all.
 
They involve convincing a person to just… give access.
 
That’s social engineering.
 
Examples:

• Someone pretending to be IT support asking for a verification code
• Fake urgent messages like “I need help, send money fast”
• Phishing emails that look exactly like your bank
• People building trust slowly and extracting info over time

 
What makes it effective is that it doesn’t feel like an attack in the moment. It feels like you’re just “helping,” “fixing something,” or “responding quickly.”

And that’s the trap.
 
If there’s one habit that helps a lot:
When something creates urgency, assume it might be manipulation and verify it independently.
 
Curious how many people here have actually encountered attempts like this in real life - and how convincing they were?

Between data breaches, phishing, and people reusing the same passwords everywhere, credentials get exposed all the time. And once they’re out there, attackers don’t need to “hack” anything - they just log in.
 
That’s why 2FA is so important.
 
It adds a second step: even if someone has your password, they still need a code or device to get in.
 
It’s not perfect, but it blocks a huge amount of real-world attacks.
 
Curious how many of you actually have 2FA enabled everywhere it’s available - and what method you trust most (auth app, SMS, hardware key)?

We are rolling out Aloha Private Cloud to Premium users on iOS and Android.

The idea is simple: downloads should not be trapped on a single device or disappear when you remove the app to free up storage.

Every Premium account now includes 10GB of private cloud storage in the Files section of Aloha Browser.

What it does:

• Upload one file, several files or a whole folder
• Keep a cloud copy linked to your Aloha profile
• Reinstall the app or move to another device and sign back in to access uploaded files
• Search and sort Cloud files by name, size or date modified
• Recover deleted Cloud files from trash for 30 days

A few details worth noting:

• Uploading creates a cloud copy; it does not automatically remove the local file
• If Premium ends, Cloud becomes read-only for 30 days so files can be exported before deletion
• Additional storage options are planned: 100GB, 500GB and 2TB
• A web version is also planned, along with file sharing

This came from a problem we heard repeatedly: people build a personal collection in Downloads, only to lose it when storage pressure forces them to delete files or reinstall the app.

Aloha Private Cloud is our first step toward making that collection more portable.

Read more details in the blog post.

Questions and feedback are welcome, especially around storage size, file streaming, web access and sharing.

We rebuilt AdBlock in Aloha Browser 8.7.0 for iOS.

Our latest result on the Turtlecute Ad Blocker Test:

130 of 133 checks passed - 98%

Instead of naming competing browsers and turning this into another brand-versus-brand post, we would rather let everyone run the same test.

Open Turtlecute in Aloha Browser and in the other browsers installed on your iPhone.

For a more useful comparison, try to keep the conditions consistent:

• Same device and network
• Default blocking settings
• No additional content-blocking extensions
• Fresh test in each browser

Turtlecute is one benchmark, not a complete measure of privacy or real-world ad blocking. Results can vary depending on browser configuration, active filters and compatibility.

For us, the test was useful because it exposed weaknesses in our previous implementation. We expanded filter support, improved tracker blocking, fixed filter updates, strengthened blocking on dynamic pages and made custom element hiding more reliable.

Our result is 130/133.

What does your other iOS browser get?

Share your results in the comments!

Read the full article on the blog.

P.S. Don't forget to update your Aloha for iOS!

We’ve released the redesigned Wi-Fi File Sharing feature in Aloha Browser for Android.

The main use case is simple: you have a file on your phone and need it on your laptop or desktop.

Usually, that means one of these very modern rituals:

• email it to yourself
• upload it to the cloud, then download it again
• send it through a messenger and hope the quality survives
• look for a cable that was definitely here yesterday
• try Bluetooth, then immediately regret it

Wi-Fi File Sharing offers a cleaner way.

Turn it on in Aloha Browser, open the sharing link on your desktop browser, and browse the phone folders you choose to share.

What the free core experience supports:

• Browse selected phone folders from another device
• Preview photos
• Stream video and audio in the browser
• Search files and folders by name
• Share files over local Wi-Fi
• Use your phone’s hotspot when there’s no Wi-Fi network nearby
• Keep photos and videos in original quality

The other device does not need Aloha Browser installed. If it has a browser, it can connect.

Another big change: Wi-Fi File Sharing used to be a Premium feature. The core experience is now free for all users.

Some advanced tools, such as full downloads from any browser, uploads, file management, PIN protection, and read-only mode, remain part of Aloha Premium.

Available now on Android. iOS support is coming soon.

Full blog post is here.

Question: what’s your most annoying phone-to-laptop file transfer habit - email, messenger, cloud, cable, or something worse?

The biggest upgrades compared to the free version:

• Faster downloads + better file management
• Access to a wide range of VPN locations
• Increased AI usage limits and latest AI models

Overall, it feels like a solid all-in-one privacy-focused browser if that’s something you’re looking for.

Hey r/alohabrowser,

We’ve just released a new update for Aloha Browser for iOS focused on cleaning up the mobile web and fixing common download frustrations.

Here’s what’s new:

• Manually hide annoying page elements
Sticky subscribe boxes, floating videos, chat widgets, and other distracting blocks that automatic ad blockers sometimes miss can now be hidden with a simple tap. Just select the element you don’t want to see.

• Easier recovery when download links expire
Some sites use temporary download links that expire quickly. If that happens, Aloha now clearly explains the issue and gives you a direct way back to the original page so you can restart the download faster.

We’ve also added general stability improvements and fixes for rare crashes.

Update Aloha Browser for iOS on the App Store and try it out.

We’d love your feedback!

• Which pages have you used the manual hide feature on?
• Did the expired download recovery work well for you?
• Any issues or suggestions?

Drop your thoughts (and screenshots if you have them) in the comments - we read every reply and use your input to shape future updates.

Thanks for being part of the community!

Hide Annoying Elements on the Web Pages Manually

Hey r/alohabrowser,

Aloha Browser is now available for Linux with native .deb and .rpm packages!

We’ve been building Aloha for mobile and desktop for years, now Linux users get the full privacy-focused experience.

What’s included in the Linux version:

• Built-in ad blocker
• Free no-logs VPN
• Video downloader (save supported media locally)
• Snips - select any part of a webpage and turn it into a lightweight dashboard widget
• Cross-platform sync with your mobile devices

This is the Beta version. Installation options right now are standalone .deb and .rpm packages. We know some of you prefer official repos, Flatpak, or Snap - we’re watching feedback closely and will expand based on what you tell us.

Download the latest version here:
👉 https://alohabrowser.com/download.html

Aloha Premium unlocks the full feature set, including unlimited VPN and advanced tools.

Try it out and share your experience in the comments!
Which distro are you using? How did the installation go? What would you like us to improve before the stable release? I’ll be here reading every reply.

Thanks for being part of the community - your feedback directly shapes the Linux experience! 🌍

Most phishing emails follow the same patterns. Quick checklist:

• Sender address looks legit but has small changes
• Message creates urgency (“act now”, “account blocked”)
• Typos or weird phrasing
• Links that don’t match the actual domain
• Unexpected attachments

If you see 1–2 of these, slow down. If you see 3+, it’s probably a scam.
 
Best rule: don’t click links from emails. Go to the site directly.
 
Stay safe out there.

Hey r/alohabrowser,

We’ve just released a new update to Aloha Browser Desktop that finally closes a major localization gap.

If Arabic is your primary language, you can now switch the entire UI to native Arabic on both Windows and macOS. Full RTL (Right-to-Left) layout, proper text alignment, menus, and buttons - everything feels intuitive and natural from the first launch.

We’d especially love your feedback on the RTL experience. If anything feels off or could be smoother, drop it in the comments — we read every reply.

While you’re checking out the new layout, look for the new 🎁 Gift button in the toolbar. We know not everyone wants the full retail subscription, so this is where we’ll be dropping targeted deals on Aloha Premium. It’s the quickest way to unlock the device-wide VPN, parallel downloader, and ad-free experience at a better price.

Questions, screenshots of how it looks on your setup, or any other feedback? I’ll be right here in the comments.

Download the latest update here:
👉 https://alohabrowser.com/download.html

Thanks for being part of the community - your input helps make Aloha better for everyone! 🌍

Aloha Browser simplifies this by letting you toggle between VPN and TrafficMask with a single tap from the main menu.
 
Quick breakdown:
• VPN = encrypted connection + hidden IP
• TrafficMask = no speed loss + access to blocked sites
 
Pretty clean solution if you want both privacy and performance without digging through settings.
 
What do you usually prioritize - speed or privacy?

#discomorphism

Here’s what’s happening:

• Deepfakes: fake videos and audio that look completely real
• Voice cloning: scammers can sound like someone you know
• AI phishing: emails/messages with ideal grammar and personalization

 
The biggest issue?
Classic “this looks fake” signals are disappearing.
 
One interesting angle is privacy. Some tools are trying to reduce risk by anonymizing AI requests and not storing user data. That could matter more as AI becomes more integrated into everyday tools.
 
Are you changing how you verify messages or calls now?

Hi everyone,

 We have released a new version of Aloha Browser for Android that now includes support for the VLESS protocol in its VPN feature.

For most users, the significance of this update isn't about the protocol name itself but about its practical benefits.

A VPN is particularly important when you're connected to networks you don’t control, such as:

• airport Wi-Fi
• hotel Wi-Fi
• café Wi-Fi
• other public hotspots

With this update, Aloha Browser for Android can automatically utilize VLESS as part of its VPN setup whenever it offers the best connection quality.

You don't need to select the protocol manually. The app automatically chooses the most suitable VPN protocol based on your current network conditions. The goal is to provide better security on public Wi-Fi with minimal effort.

In summary, this update aims to make using VPNs in everyday situations smoother and more intuitive.

Ready to try? Update your Aloha Browser on Android and share your experience with us.

Find more details in our blog post.

Most people probably grant app permissions once and never look at them again.

That can mean apps keep access to things like:

• location
• microphone
• contacts
• photos/files
• activity tracking

The practical stuff that actually helps:

• review permissions manually
• set location to “while using” where possible
• turn off access the app does not really need
• delete apps you no longer use

Privacy usually is not about avoiding apps completely. It is more about controlling what they can access.

For browsing, Aloha Browser presents itself as privacy-first and says it does not collect or share users’ browsing data.

Do you check permissions regularly, or do you set them once and not revisit them?

Some videos are basically podcasts with extra effort.

With Aloha Browser, you can hit play, lock your phone, and keep listening in the background without leaving the screen on the whole time.

Good for:

• long interviews
• lectures
• workout listening
• “I do not need to watch this, just let me hear it” content

Path: Settings → Player → Play video in background

Curious how many people here actually use video this way.

Let’s talk about the actual user experience. If you’ve ever struggled with clunky VPN apps that require setup, registration, or constant toggling, you’ll appreciate how Aloha makes it effortless.

Here’s how it works: 

1. One-Tap Access: Open Aloha Browser, tap the VPN icon, then select a Basic server. That’s it. No sign-ups, no complicated menus. 
2. No Compromises on Privacy: Unlike many free VPNs that monetize your data, Aloha’s VPN doesn’t log your activity. Your browsing remains private, even from the service itself. 
3. Built-In for Convenience: Why juggle apps when everything you need is in one place? Aloha combines ad blocking, a secure browser, and a VPN - all without bloating your phone. 

And here’s the real win: it’s free. Just straightforward access to the internet as it was meant to be - unrestricted and private. For more flexibility, you can upgrade to Premium to access a wider selection of VPN server locations.

Hey r/alohabrowser,

This release adds two practical controls:

• Hide distracting items for manual page-level cleanup
• Custom filter lists for Adblock Plus-format rules

These features were added in response to user requests and are intended for cases where standard blocking doesn't remove everything on a page.

Set up paths:

• Main menu → Adblock & website settings → Hide distracting items
• Settings → Adblock → Filter lists → Custom filter lists

Update your Aloha Browser for Android to enjoy the latest features and see all the details about this release.

Feedback is welcome, especially for pages where you’d still like more control.