Some apps, such as the official Tor Browser, have Tor built in. They do not require additional software or configurations to utilize Tor. Most apps, however, do not have Tor built in. They require an app called Orbot to be installed in order to utilize the Tor Network.
Download and install Orbot from the Play Store, or from F-Droid (must open with F-Droid app). Then launch the app.
Note
When using F-Droid, you will need to activate the Guardian Project repository by visiting the Settings menu (bottom right) -> Repositories -> GuardianProjectOfficialReleases
Running Orbot in “Power User Mode” and initial configuration¶
This configuration allows you to run Tor in the background listening for just .onion addresses. Anything that isn’t an .onion address will be treated normally and not go through the Tor network.
Note
Some Android apps won’t work on this setting and will need Orbot to be run in VPN mode. There is more on this in the next section, but it’s useful to know how to toggle between the two modes so that when not using Tor services you can continue to access the internet at ordinary speeds. This setting is ideal for using Firefox Beta configured as per this guide and for those who have another VPN activated at the same time.
Tap More in the bottom right hand corner and select Settings:
Make sure the options for Start Orbot on Boot and Allow Background Starts are checked:
And then also check Power User Mode.
Note
This is what you’ll uncheck, check and uncheck again to switch between VPN mode and Power User Mode as you need to.
That’s it, you’re now running a Tor client on your Android device! Certain apps, such as Firefox, Fennec, and DuckDuckGo will now work after you configure them to use Tor’s local proxy. Other apps do not have sophisticated proxy configurations and require that Orbot be running in VPN mode.
To utilize Tor, some apps require that Orbot be running in VPN mode. This means that you are sending your application’s traffic across the Tor network via Orbot (and all other traffic too).
Disable Private DNS on your device. Navigate to: Settings>Network&Internet>Advanced>PrivateDNS>Off and toggle Private DNS to “off”.
Make sure the option for Power User Mode is unchecked:
Tap Choose Apps, and add the apps you want to utilize Tor.
Examples of applications that need this feature for remote access are:
Bitwarden
Element (Matrix client)
Nextcloud
SimpleX
You can also add the following browsers to the Tor-Enabled Apps list to easily access Tor addresses (.onion URLs):
Chrome
Vanadium
Firefox (see below)
Caution
Pushing apps through Orbot’s VPN mode will allow you to access .onion URLs, however, all other traffic will also go through Tor. This means connections to some sites may be blocked by site operators’ fraud prevention measures, especially e-commerce sites where credit cards are used. Proceed with caution especially for Web Browsers. Use Firefox (below) to avoid these issues.
You can configure the Firefox Beta browser to use Orbot without adding it as a VPN app by following this guide. This way, Firefox will use Tor only when necessary and avoid some of the issue created by using Tor unconditionally.
Documentation
