[APP] AOSP browser with normal viewport (zoom)

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v4nt0m

Member
May 16, 2010
37
7
For me AOSP is still the best browser, it is quick, smooth and still does flash... The major problem I always had with it is that websites always loaded zoomed in (like almost every Android browser) because the viewport used to render the page was small. This has always been too big and blurry on all the 10 inch tablets I've had. The fix for this was to enter "about:debug" menu and untick "use wide viewport" in debug settings. I'm sure some of you have done this plenty, however this option never stuck and I had to manually enter "about:debug" every time I started the browser which gets confusing and annoying.

But now thanks to a handy XDA thread a quick recompile I can now browse with the correct zoom to my heart's content. The browser now loads in debug mode by default rendering pages spot on.

Before:


After:




This the AOSP browser was taken from this thread: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=35551725#post35551725 recompiled apk is attached below.

Here are the instructions from that thread to install the browser:
> Must be rooted.

> Copy the browser.apk into the system/app folder

> With a root file explorer change the file permissions of the browser.apk to -rw-rw-r (you will see this represented as 664) If you don't do this, it won't install.

> You must rename the BrowserProviderProxy.apk & BrowserProviderProxy.odex otherwise the browser will force close, just add a 1 to the name e.g. 1BrowserProviderProxy.apk1 Do not delete them, if you still want to OTA update Android. Android checks for any changes to the system/app folder before performing an OTA, so you will have to delete the browser.apk and rename the two file back to stock, when it is OTA time.

Once you have restarted your device for the app to install you will need to open the browser and go into settings -> Debug and untick "use wide viewport" you should also untick the "show javascript console" box as we don't need it.

And you should be able to enjoy your quick browser without having your pages all zoomed in.

The chrome sync from the other thread should still work with this browser, but I have not tried it and cannot confirm this. The usual disclaimers apply, the apk is provided "as is".

Thanks to the original people who brought out the browser.apk in the original threads and thanks to the guy in this thread for the guide on how to keep the browser in debug mode and thanks to the other threads on xda which helped me in how to recompile apks. Hope I'm not stepping on any toes and have posted in the right place.

And here's my current favourite browsing setup on my nexus 10:



Status bar hidden courtesy of GMD, status pie menu from LMT and the quick controls enabled in the labs menu of AOSP, with all of those mods you can see almost twice as much webpage :)
 

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Last edited:

lKBZl

Senior Member
Mar 23, 2012
683
121
Barcelona
For me AOSP is still the best browser, it is quick, smooth and still does flash... The major problem I always had with it is that websites always loaded zoomed in (like almost every Android browser) because the viewport used to render the page was small. This has always been too big and blurry on all the 10 inch tablets I've had. The fix for this was to enter "about:debug" menu and untick "use wide viewport" in debug settings. I'm sure some of you have done this plenty, however this option never stuck and I had to manually enter "about:debug" every time I started the browser which gets confusing and annoying.

But now thanks to a handy XDA thread a quick recompile I can now browse with the correct zoom to my heart's content. The browser now loads in debug mode by default rendering pages spot on.

This the AOSP browser was taken from this thread: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=35551725#post35551725 recompiled apk is attached below.

Here are the instructions from that thread to install the browser:


Once you have restarted your device for the app to install you will need to open the browser and go into settings -> Debug and untick "use wide viewport" you should also untick the "show javascript console" box as we don't need it.

And you should be able to enjoy your quick browser without having your pages all zoomed in.

The chrome sync from the other thread should still work with this browser, but I have not tried it and cannot confirm this. The usual disclaimers apply, the apk is provided "as is".

Thanks to the original people who brought out the browser.apk in the original threads and thanks to the guy in this thread for the guide on how to keep the browser in debug mode and thanks to the other threads on xda which helped me in how to recompile apks. Hope I'm not stepping on any toes and have posted in the right place.

And here's my current favourite browsing setup on my nexus 10:

Status bar hidden courtesy of GMD, status pie menu from LMT and the quick controls enabled in the labs menu of AOSP, with all of those mods you can see almost twice as much webpage :)
Thanks, was about to ask for a screen comparation! Awesome. However, I can't find the option that you say we have to untick (usew wide viewport). My browser is in spanish and I can't find it, where is it?
 
Last edited:

v4nt0m

Member
May 16, 2010
37
7
I'm not at my tablet at the moment but make sure you're in the settings menu, the debug option is at the very bottom.

I am looking at the screen on my phone and "use wide viewport" is the 8th option down, the javascript console option is the 6th option down.

I'll check where the options are on my tablet when I get home to be sure.
 

lKBZl

Senior Member
Mar 23, 2012
683
121
Barcelona
I'm not at my tablet at the moment but make sure you're in the settings menu, the debug option is at the very bottom.

I am looking at the screen on my phone and "use wide viewport" is the 8th option down, the javascript console option is the 6th option down.

I'll check where the options are on my tablet when I get home to be sure.
Oh, for me the java option is the 3rd in Settings - Adavanced. Seems it's pretty changed.
 

v4nt0m

Member
May 16, 2010
37
7
Hi, you seem to be in the wrong settings menu, you should have another option as below labelled as debug:



It is the same on here, the viewport option is 8th down. If you do not have the debug option type about:debug into the address bar and go back into settings. Have you definitely installed the browser apk from my post?
 

lKBZl

Senior Member
Mar 23, 2012
683
121
Barcelona
Hi, you seem to be in the wrong settings menu, you should have another option as below labelled as debug:



It is the same on here, the viewport option is 8th down. If you do not have the debug option type about:debug into the address bar and go back into settings. Have you definitely installed the browser apk from my post?
I did on my nexus 10 but I was looking to the settings menu from a nexus 10 that hasn't got your modified aosp browser, I guess that's why! Sorry lol.
 

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    For me AOSP is still the best browser, it is quick, smooth and still does flash... The major problem I always had with it is that websites always loaded zoomed in (like almost every Android browser) because the viewport used to render the page was small. This has always been too big and blurry on all the 10 inch tablets I've had. The fix for this was to enter "about:debug" menu and untick "use wide viewport" in debug settings. I'm sure some of you have done this plenty, however this option never stuck and I had to manually enter "about:debug" every time I started the browser which gets confusing and annoying.

    But now thanks to a handy XDA thread a quick recompile I can now browse with the correct zoom to my heart's content. The browser now loads in debug mode by default rendering pages spot on.

    Before:


    After:




    This the AOSP browser was taken from this thread: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=35551725#post35551725 recompiled apk is attached below.

    Here are the instructions from that thread to install the browser:
    > Must be rooted.

    > Copy the browser.apk into the system/app folder

    > With a root file explorer change the file permissions of the browser.apk to -rw-rw-r (you will see this represented as 664) If you don't do this, it won't install.

    > You must rename the BrowserProviderProxy.apk & BrowserProviderProxy.odex otherwise the browser will force close, just add a 1 to the name e.g. 1BrowserProviderProxy.apk1 Do not delete them, if you still want to OTA update Android. Android checks for any changes to the system/app folder before performing an OTA, so you will have to delete the browser.apk and rename the two file back to stock, when it is OTA time.

    Once you have restarted your device for the app to install you will need to open the browser and go into settings -> Debug and untick "use wide viewport" you should also untick the "show javascript console" box as we don't need it.

    And you should be able to enjoy your quick browser without having your pages all zoomed in.

    The chrome sync from the other thread should still work with this browser, but I have not tried it and cannot confirm this. The usual disclaimers apply, the apk is provided "as is".

    Thanks to the original people who brought out the browser.apk in the original threads and thanks to the guy in this thread for the guide on how to keep the browser in debug mode and thanks to the other threads on xda which helped me in how to recompile apks. Hope I'm not stepping on any toes and have posted in the right place.

    And here's my current favourite browsing setup on my nexus 10:



    Status bar hidden courtesy of GMD, status pie menu from LMT and the quick controls enabled in the labs menu of AOSP, with all of those mods you can see almost twice as much webpage :)