Short answer: These are three different products. Tor Browser for Android is the official browser. Orbot is a Tor-powered proxy/VPN for other apps — not a hardened web profile. Onion Browser is what the Tor Project points to on iOS because Apple requires WebKit; it is not Tor Browser. This page is a limits matrix, not an install walkthrough. Install steps stay on Tor on mobile.
Pick the job first
- Android, browsing the web → Tor Browser for Android from a channel the Project names (Play, Guardian Project’s F-Droid repo, torproject.org, or GetTor). Other apps still use the carrier and vendor services.
- Android or iOS, routing another app through Tor → Orbot (VPN / proxy mode for selected apps). It keeps app traffic on Tor. It does not give you Tor Browser’s anti-fingerprinting. A leaky app stays leaky.
- iOS, browsing → Onion Browser (Tor Project recommendation). There is no Tor Browser for iOS. Privacy Guides: fine for casual onion reachability; do not treat it as an anonymity tool against an advanced adversary. With Onion Browser’s built-in Tor, WebRTC and audio/video can leak the real IP because of WebKit; pairing with Orbot is safer and still limited.
- Anonymity as the model, not just circumvention → desktop Tor Browser on a system you control remains the stronger web profile. Privacy Guides say that outright.
Limits matrix
| Tor Browser for Android | Orbot | Onion Browser | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who ships it | Tor Project | Guardian Project | Guardian Project / Mike Tigas; Tor Project recommends it on iOS |
| Platforms | Android | Android and iOS | iOS |
| Official Tor Browser? | Yes | No | No — there is no Tor Browser for iOS |
| Hardened, shared fingerprint | Yes (TBA model) | Not a browser | No. WebKit cannot apply the desktop/Android model |
| Security levels Standard / Safer / Safest | Yes | n/a | Own controls; weaker than TBA |
| Routes other apps through Tor | No | Yes — selected apps (VPN / proxy mode) | No. Only traffic inside Onion Browser |
| Onion sites | Yes | Only if the other app speaks Tor correctly | Yes, with WebKit limits |
| Typical mistake | Assuming the whole phone is now on Tor | Treating it as “Tor Browser with a VPN toggle” | Assuming an App Store “Tor Browser” is official |
What this page will not do
It will not pick a store listing for you. It will not recap APK verification. It will not claim Orbot “anonymizes the phone.” Phones stay phones: Tor on mobile.
Sources
- Tor Project: Tor Browser for Android / mobile
- Tor Project: Managing identities — only Tor Browser’s traffic uses Tor
- Privacy Guides: Tor Browser and Onion Browser
- Guardian Project: Orbot (Tor-powered VPN for Android and iOS)
- Onion Browser — iOS client the Tor Project recommends
See also: letterboxing and window fingerprint, GetTor.