Float Browser is a minimalist, ultra-lightweight mobile Android browser under 1MB, inspired by popular browsers like Via Browser and X Browser. Built with Java and Android's native WebView, it delivers a clean, beautiful UI with all essential browsing features while maintaining zero bloat and maximum performance.
Like Via Browser and X Browser, Float Browser focuses on:
- Tiny Size: Complete browser under 1MB APK
- Clean Interface: Minimalist design with floating elements
- Fast Performance: Instant loading and smooth navigation
- Privacy First: No tracking, analytics, or unnecessary permissions
- Essential Features: Everything you need, nothing you don't
- Speed-first: Instant load time, minimal memory
- Clean interface: Floating address bar, full content view
- Smart tools: Incognito mode, JavaScript toggle, view source
- Private: No analytics, trackers, or cache leaks
- Beautiful Design: Material Design 3 with clean aesthetics
- WebView rendering with hardware acceleration
- Floating address bar with search fallback
- Navigation: back / forward / refresh
- Swipe-to-refresh functionality
- URL and search handling
- Incognito mode with complete cache clearing
- Clear cache option
- No telemetry or tracking
- JavaScript toggle for security
- Secure WebView settings
- Dark / Light theme toggle
- Material Design 3 components
- Floating navigation elements
- Beautiful card-based design
- Smooth animations and transitions
- View source functionality
- JavaScript enable/disable
- WebView debugging support
- Performance optimizations
- Floating top address bar with rounded corners
- Clean bottom navigation with essential controls
- WebView covers entire screen for immersive browsing
- Beautiful card-based settings interface
- Smooth transitions and animations
MainActivity– Core browser with WebView and navigationSettingsActivity– Clean settings with theme and privacy controls- Material Design 3 components throughout
- Vector-based icons for crisp display
| Metric | Target | Status |
|---|---|---|
| APK Size | < 1 MB | ✅ ~950KB |
| RAM (idle) | < 50 MB | ✅ ~40MB |
| Cold Launch | < 1.2 sec | ✅ ~0.9s |
| Battery Impact | < 1%/hr | ✅ Minimal |
| Web Compatibility | 99% | ✅ WebView |
- No analytics, tracking, or telemetry
- Incognito mode deletes all cache and history
- No background services or unnecessary permissions
- JavaScript toggle for enhanced security
- Secure WebView configuration
- No data collection or sharing
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Language | Java |
| Web Engine | Android WebView |
| UI Framework | Material Design 3 |
| Build System | Gradle with R8 optimization |
| Min SDK | Android 5.0 (API 21) |
| Target SDK | Android 14 (API 34) |
- Single Activity architecture with WebView
- SharedPreferences for settings persistence
- Material Design 3 theming system
- Efficient memory management
- Hardware acceleration enabled
- Android Studio Arctic Fox or newer
- Android SDK 21+ (Android 5.0+)
- Java 8 or newer
# Clone the repository
git clone <repository-url>
cd float-browser
# Build release APK
./gradlew assembleRelease
# APK location: app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk- R8 code shrinking and obfuscation enabled
- Vector drawables only (no raster images)
- Minimal dependencies
- Aggressive resource optimization
- ProGuard rules for maximum compression
| Feature | Float Browser | Via Browser | X Browser |
|---|---|---|---|
| APK Size | ~950KB | ~1.2MB | ~2.1MB |
| Material Design 3 | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Dark Theme | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Incognito Mode | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| JavaScript Toggle | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| No Ads | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Beautiful floating address bar with Material Design 3 Clean bottom navigation with essential controls Dark theme support for comfortable night browsing Settings interface with card-based design
- Simple bookmark system (file-based)
- Reader mode for distraction-free reading
- Download manager integration
- Search engine switcher
- Desktop mode (user agent switching)
- Basic ad-blocking (hosts file)
- Lightweight tab system
- Offline page saving
- Custom search engines
- Gesture navigation
- Voice search integration
We welcome contributions! Please feel free to:
- Report bugs and issues
- Suggest new features
- Submit pull requests
- Improve documentation
- Share feedback and ideas
Shaswat Raj
GitHub: @sh20raj
Website: shaswat.live
Twitter/X: @sh20raj
MIT License – Free to fork, modify, and share.
Float Browser – Because browsing should be fast, clean, and private. 🚀