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The desktop versions of Firefox and Chrome use Google’s Safe Browsing service to warn the users about known bad websites.

Looking at a Samsung handset running Android v5 I noticed that neither the built in browser nor Chrome has this feature. I then downloaded Firefox for Android and CM Browser (due to it's rating) and they don't have it either. In CM's case it has an option under Security but a url that fails on the desktop, it happily loads.

Is there a browser that uses this? Or should I look to some AV/Security product to get this protection?

EDIT: With Firefox on the desktop, the blacklist is updated every 30mins. It has been hours since I tried both Chrome and Firefox on Android and neither is reporting the same URL as bad. Could be they are using a different list?

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Chrome for Android definitely does (http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/7/9865928/google-chrome-safe-browsing-android-malware). The safe browsing feature isn't yet supported by Android WebView so any WebView-based browser (e.g. CM browser, Ghostery, or Lighting Browser) lacks it.

Firefox on Android should support safe browsing as well, as per their blog posts: https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2012/11/26/firefox-for-android-beta-improves-phishing-and-malware-protection/ and http://www.morbo.org/2012/10/phishing-protection-on-mobile.html. Not sure why doesn't it work for you.

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  • I've just rechecked both Chrome and Firefox and both fail to reject a URL that is rejected on the desktop. They either using a different blacklist or their feature is broken...
    – Dude named Ben
    Commented Apr 22, 2016 at 1:30
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    Yeah, there seems to be something different about mobile versions of Chrome and Firefox. I tried testing with the special test URLs that work with desktop Chrome, but they don't work with Chrome for Android. Special Firefox test URLs also don't seem to work with Firefox on Android either. There is a bug on the Chrome bug tracker about this: crbug.com/438613, let's see what they will say. But Chrome, Firefox and even Safari are supposed to use the same Safe Browsing service: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Safe_Browsing, so that's... interesting. Thanks for raising up this issue!
    – Mikhail Naganov
    Commented Apr 22, 2016 at 17:11
  • @Vic There is a testing page that lists different test URLs for Chrome on different platforms: testsafebrowsing.appspot.com The first two links are for Chrome for Android. Safe browsing feature is definitely there.
    – Mikhail Naganov
    Commented May 6, 2016 at 22:37

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