Samsung Internet

Is Samsung Internet safe?

Yes. Samsung Internet, the browser that comes on Galaxy phones, is a safe everyday choice and more private by default than Chrome. Since version 17.0 in May 2022 it has blocked cross-site tracking cookies out of the box in the US, the UK, the EU and South Korea, and Samsung pays researchers up to US$1 million for serious bugs in its software. The catch is paperwork. The browser's US privacy notice has not been updated since October 2018, and it allows Samsung to collect your browsing history, search keywords and advertising IDs. We score it 69/100: above Google Chrome (59) and Microsoft Edge (64), below Firefox (79).

What data does Samsung Internet collect?

The two documents Samsung publishes tell different stories. The Google Play data safety label, where the app is now called Samsung Browser, lists only app interactions and device IDs, both for app functions, and says no data is shared with other companies.

The browser's own US privacy notice, effective 5 October 2018, covers much more. It says Samsung may obtain "Samsung Internet browsing history (such as visited websites, search keywords and bookmarks)", device details including advertising identifiers such as the Google Ad ID, and app usage. It uses third-party analytics, including Google Analytics. If you turn on two optional features, News Push and Quick Suggest, Samsung "may provide certain information about your Samsung Internet browsing history and certain Web page content" to third-party partners for interest-based ads and recommendations. The notice also says the browser does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

So the label likely understates what the policy allows, and we score privacy on the broader of the two. Samsung's general US privacy policy, updated in July 2026, adds that some sharing with ad services may count as a "sale" under state laws, with an opt-out for US residents.

How good is the tracking protection?

Better than Chrome's, for most readers. Smart anti-tracking identifies domains that can track you across sites and blocks their access to cookies. Samsung's May 2022 release says it became the default in the US, the UK, Korea, most of Europe and a list of other countries; elsewhere you have to switch it on. The same update made the browser try HTTPS first when you type an address and added a privacy dashboard on the Quick Access page that shows weekly activity and lets you adjust settings.

It is not a full ad blocker. Samsung Internet lets other apps supply content-blocking filters instead of building one in, so to block ads you install a blocker from the Galaxy Store or Google Play and enable it in the browser.

How secure is Samsung Internet?

It is built on Chromium, the engine behind Chrome and Edge, and Samsung ships its own builds through the Galaxy Store and Google Play. Samsung lists browser fixes in its monthly app security updates. In 2026 to October it fixed three Samsung Internet flaws: a script-injection bug that needed the user to interact (CVE-2026-21132, fixed in version 30.0.5.24) and two that let a local attacker reach sensitive information. None was reported as used in attacks.

The Samsung Mobile Security Rewards Program pays from US$200 to US$1,000,000 for qualifying reports about apps developed and signed by Samsung Mobile, which includes the browser. Protected Browsing warns you before you open known malicious sites. What Samsung does not spell out is how synced bookmarks and tabs are encrypted on its servers, so we cannot credit end-to-end encryptionEnd-to-end encryptionEncryption in which only the sender and the recipient can read a message. The company running the service cannot see its content.More in the glossary.

Has Samsung Internet faced regulators?

Not for privacy. When the EU's Digital Markets Act came in, Samsung told the European Commission that the browser met the size thresholds for a gatekeeper service. In September 2023 the Commission accepted Samsung's argument that it is not an important gateway for businesses and decided not to designate it. We found no fine or order that names the browser.

How to make Samsung Internet more private

1. Check that Smart anti-tracking is on in the browser's privacy settings, especially if you bought your phone outside the US, UK, EU or Korea.
2. Leave News Push and Quick Suggest off unless you want suggestions; they are the features that send browsing history to ad partners.
3. Install a content blocker app and enable it in the browser's add-ons menu to stop ads and malvertising.
4. Use Secret mode for searches you do not want saved on the phone.
5. Keep the browser updated through the Galaxy Store or Google Play, since Samsung patches it separately from Android.

How we scored it

The regulatory record (90) is Samsung Internet's strongest factor, and security (72) is solid thanks to a large bug bounty and regular fixes. Privacy (60) is the weakest, because the 2018 notice covers browsing history and ad IDs that the Play label leaves out, even though tracker blocking is on by default. For an Android browser that also blocks ads without an add-on, see Brave.