Google Chrome

Chrome is the browser preinstalled on most Android devices. Downloading it separately generally matters only if it was removed, or if you are on a device that ships a manufacturer browser instead.

The things people miss

• Data Saver / Lite mode has been withdrawn. If you are looking for it after an upgrade, it is gone rather than moved.
• Desktop site is per-tab, not global, and resets. For a site you always want in desktop mode there is no persistent setting.
• Chrome on Android does not support extensions. This is the single biggest functional gap versus desktop, and it is the reason most ad-blocking on Android happens at the DNS level or in a different browser.

Sync and what it carries

Signing in syncs tabs, history, passwords and payment methods. Passwords sync to your Google account by default; whether that is convenient or a concentration of risk depends on your setup. It can be disabled per data type rather than all or nothing.

Alternatives worth knowing

If extension support or built-in content blocking is what you want, Firefox on Android supports a curated extension set including uBlock Origin. If you want Chrome’s rendering with less of Google’s account integration, several Chromium-based browsers offer that. Chrome’s advantage is that it is already there and it is fast.