Latest news with #Andy Walker
Android Authority
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
I still love VLC, but this lightweight video player changed the game for me
Andy Walker / Android Authority VLC Player has been my go-to video app for years, dating back to the good ol' Windows XP days. That loyalty progressed to Android, and I still use it across desktop and mobile for my video content needs. While it remains a powerful product, VLC often feels cumbersome when I crave simplicity. Why opt for a piledriver when you need a chisel? I searched for a secondary player for more immediate video viewing tasks a few months ago and discovered Next Player. Although it's not as feature-rich as VLC, this is to its benefit. I believe the veteran player could learn a lot from this underdog. What is your preferred video player app on Android? 0 votes VLC Player NaN % Next Player NaN % My phone's default video player (mention the app in the comments). NaN % Another third-party app (mention the app in the comments). NaN % Next Player excels in design and usability Andy Walker / Android Authority What Next Player lacks in features, it makes up for in design. It's one of the most visually appealing Android apps I've used in ages, fully utilizing Material You and sensible element placements. The app offers two settings menus: one for home screen organization and another for additional tweaks and toggles. I'm never more than two screens away from the home screen, and since I've set up the environment to my liking, I rarely have to revisit these menus. Its clean design initially attracted me, but Next Player's strength is its straightforward functionality. Its clean design initially attracted me, but Next Player's strength is its straightforward functionality. The home screen's organizational options are somewhat customizable, but it displays only folders containing supported content by default. This makes it easy to jump into a directory and start watching content immediately. The video player itself is a core part of the video player experience, and I find Next's interface much easier to use. While VLC often hides important icons behind an overflow menu, Next offers immediate access to core controls on the player screen. VLC Player Next Player I have a habit of accidentally swiping or tapping on the screen or seek bar while watching content, leading me to lock content when it's on my display. Next Player's lock icon is conveniently located at the screen's bottom left corner, whereas VLC's is hidden in its overflow menu. I prefer not to tap multiple times to access this vital setting, so Next Player wins this battle. Overall, Next Player's controls are more relevant to my experience than those provided by VLC. I don't always need to select a subtitle track, but I often want to pop out my video player or adjust the playback speed. Yes, VLC has more options on tap, but the controls I use most aren't readily available. I wish both players allowed users to customize which icons are on screen, but Next Player suits my needs best for now. I don't always need to select a subtitle track, but I often want to pop out my video player or adjust the playback speed. It's also worth mentioning the speed of the two players. I find Next far smoother when accessing anything on the player screen. Single-tapping to bring up or hide icons is performed with a fluid, swift animation. VLC feels decidedly lumbering in comparison. The app also has problems with cut-off icons due to their size or location on my rounded display. Next is far neater in almost every aesthetic aspect. VLC still reigns in some areas, but not all Andy Walker / Android Authority As much as I've grown to like Next Player, I still use VLC to browse my NAS's video files directly if I don't want to use my file manager. It excels at streaming media and casting to supported devices. VLC also lets me browse audio files, create playlists for uninterrupted viewing or listening, or switch to its Android TV app on my Chromecast. These are features that Next Player doesn't have. These features have made VLC a brilliant app, but I'm slowly realizing I privilege usability above these options. Next Player offers just that. Follow
Android Authority
24-07-2025
- Android Authority
This might be the only Google Chrome alternative that could rip me away from Firefox
Andy Walker / Android Authority Choosing a web browser is a deeply personal decision, as I've learned from reading spicy comments on various forums over the years. I've been loyal to Firefox for a long time, but Mozilla's recent missteps and the browser's growing flaws have started to bitter my experience. So, I explored the Play Store for sweeter alternatives and stumbled across a potential candidate: Banana Browser. What Chromium-based browser do you use? 0 votes I use Google Chrome. NaN % I use a Google Chrome alternative (mention in comments). NaN % I don't use a Chromium browser. NaN % I'm unsure if my browser is based on Chromium or not. NaN % It's rare for me to be impressed by a Chromium browser, but here we are. Banana has been a surprisingly positive addition to my Android phone in recent weeks. It's an app I only recently discovered, even though it launched in 2020. It's a relatively mature project in that sense, and it shows. Largely devoid of tricks and gimmicks, Banana Browsers offers nearly all the features a picky Firefox user like me could want. A rather a-peeling Google Chrome alternative Banana Browser offers plenty for those seeking a Google Chrome alternative on Android, too. While it feels different, it's not too divergent. It adopts a broadly similar UI to other Chromium browsers, with a few welcome alterations. A Microsoft Edge-like bottom bar is perhaps the biggest change. It includes all the essential shortcuts and buttons I could want. The browser excels in one-handed ergonomics, with a quick overflow menu closest to my thumb at the bottom right corner of the screen. Master this menu (and rearrange it to your liking), and you'll easily zip around the browser in no time. I'll admit it takes some getting used to, but the learning curve is worth it. Banana includes built-in extensions, including Adblock, a quick DNS selector, and an excellent media player feature. Banana Browser also addresses one of my biggest pain points with Chrome on Android: extension support, albeit the extensions are integrated directly into the browser. Those on tap include Adblock, which also supports custom blocklists, a global dark mode option, and a secure DNS switcher to quickly switch between Cloudflare, OpenDNS, and others. The browser allows an external download manager to handle file grabs, and, more intriguingly, tit offers a master lock feature for added access security — a feature you don't see on many major browsers. To remain trendy in the age of AI, Banana Browser does bow to some fads. It offers quick access to ChatGPT through a shortcut button. Tapping it brings up the generative AI service's dialog for quick contextual searches and more. Sure, the button is a nice option and gives Banana an edge over Chrome, but I think it adds unnecessary bloat to the experience. Andy Walker / Android Authority Nevertheless, Banana Browser excels beyond any other browser I've used before when handling media on web pages. When selecting full screen on a video, the browser pushes it to its specialized player, which offers additional controls and viewing options beyond stock website abilities. I can swipe horizontally on the video to seek, or vertically to increase the volume. The browser also offers a control lock option to ensure I don't accidentally swipe away from the video as I'm wont to do. The experience is incredibly smooth, and I've found that Google's video experience within the browser is far friendlier than on the YouTube app itself. Watching YouTube on Banana Browser is far more enjoyable than on the YouTube app itself. Notably, it's not just YouTube that's compatible. I tested the player with Twitch, Dailymotion, and TikTok; all are supported. For YouTube specifically, the browser includes Sponsorblock support, background play capabilities, and the option to cast video to supported devices. It's remarkable how seamless this feature is. Tap the full-screen button on any platform, and the player springs into action. Mostly appetizing, but it's still a little green Andy Walker / Android Authority Despite its media player smarts, Banana Browser isn't flawless. I'm not sure it's the best Chrome alternative for those highly concerned about privacy and online security. The browser does have added features that intend to address these concerns, but I'm somewhat alarmed by the slowish development. The browser hasn't been updated in about four months — an eternity for a modern browser. For some context, Chrome is currently on version 138, while Banana uses Chromium version 133 as its base. Then there's the inclusion of ads within the browser itself. Granted, it's a single Surfshark ad within the Use secure DNS section, and I understand developers need to eat, but this feels slightly contradictory when the browser blocks content on web pages. I will admit that this ad is static and doesn't distract, pop up, or ruin the overall browser experience. However, it's worthwhile to acknowledge its existence, especially for a browser that includes 'Adblock' in its Google Play title. As a Chromium-based browser, Banana also has a few Chromium-based annoyances. As a Chromium-based browser, Banana also has a few Chromium-based annoyances. Unlike Firefox, it doesn't offer the option to add additional search engines, and some major options are missing. While I like the addition of DuckDuckGo, options like StartPage, Kagi, and Ecosia are missing. I would have loved the option to add custom engines to use ChatGPT and Perplexity from the search bar itself without tapping a toolbar icon. Again, this isn't a Banana Browser-specific flaw but one common across Chrome alternatives. Thanks to the older version of Chromium it's using, Banana also lacks the newer features you'll find on current Chrome builds, including full bottom bar support. Although the feature is still broken on Google's browser, it would've paired well with Banana's bottom-biased UI design. Andy Walker / Android Authority Finally, Banana Browser came close to winning me over with its Banana Extension settings option alone. When I first installed the browser, I thought it offered Chrome extension support similar to Microsoft Edge, but this isn't true. Many of the included extensions are those I currently use on Firefox, but I'd still appreciate more options. I love discovering new apps that force me to rethink the status quo, especially when it's a new browser. Overall, Banana Browser has left a sweet taste in my mouth. It's a wonderfully customizable portal to the web. It offers excellent ergonomic design, useful in-built extensions, and a media player that threatens the existence of YouTube and Twitch on my phone. Of all the Chromium-based browsers I've tried, Banana is perhaps the closest I've come to reconsidering Firefox as my daily driver. However, 'closest' really is the key word here. It still has minor annoyances that keep me away from Chrome-like browsers, from the lack of user-installed extension support to the lack of an actual bottom address bar design. Nevertheless, I have to give Banana Browser its plaudits, and I'm excited to see how the experience ripens over time.
