I’m not sure how to change the default browser that the Google news feeds opens up to on a pixel phone. Ever since posting this though I’ve been looking at other launchers with a need feed that let me open it in another browser.
You can’t. Even when Firefox with uBO is your default browser and any other app just uses Firefox as the built-in browser, Google News will resort to Chrome.
For me (on Firefox non-beta) it just opens the in-app browser and shoves ads down my throat. I just checked it, Chrome is disabled and cannot be uninstalled on my phone.
When I have a page opened in the Google News App, I can tap the menu and select to open the web page from there. Then it gets opened in Firefox.
I recommend URLCheck — it intercepts the default browser and allows both modifying the opened URL (to remove tracking) and forcefully preventing the embedded browser (the bottom-left button).
It will open Firefox or whatever your default browser is if you delete chrome or freeze it.
I’ve tried this solution and it doesn’t work. Chrome is running within the Google News app. Even if you modify Chrome on your phone to have adblockers, the version of the browser that Google News opens is unmodified.
Get rid of the Google feed which is crap, and a total BS that it doesn’t support your default browser unless disabling or getting rid of Chrome, you can use an app like Discovery Killer to get rid of it and replace it for another app, as I’m currently using Kvaesitso I have no need for doing that (Discovery Killer currently frozen), I can’t recall if the app needs root though (root FTW anyway).
Continue to use it if you enjoy trash news sites with clic baits and such, you can block ads at a DNS level, through android settings or if you have a PiHole at the house, personally I use AdAway rooted version (root FTW x2) and my PiHole at house and with a VPN outside, I’m pretty sure AdAway tooks first, but meh, let’s have some redundancy 😂
I’m pretty sure that could have been mentioned in this thread but I just wanted to explain my setup.
You need to disable the setting to “open web pages in the app”, you can find it in the general section in the Google feed settings.
If your default browser is not chrome, it should open in that browser.
I have an option when it uses it’s internal browser to open in another browser. Sometimes it does that even though I’ve set it so l to use an external browser. But you should still be able to hit options in that internal browser and open in your default.
It is your fault for not using an adblocker /s
I’m not sure how to change the default browser that the Google news feeds opens up to on a pixel phone. Ever since posting this though I’ve been looking at other launchers with a need feed that let me open it in another browser.
You can’t. Even when Firefox with uBO is your default browser and any other app just uses Firefox as the built-in browser, Google News will resort to Chrome.
Workaroud: Open the website in Firefox instead of using the app - https://news.google.com/
It will open Firefox or whatever your default browser is if you delete chrome or freeze it.
It won’t open the usual webpage though, it will open and create a new tab in the browser, at least that is the behavior that I face with Firefox Beta.
For me (on Firefox non-beta) it just opens the in-app browser and shoves ads down my throat. I just checked it, Chrome is disabled and cannot be uninstalled on my phone.
When I have a page opened in the Google News App, I can tap the menu and select to open the web page from there. Then it gets opened in Firefox.
I recommend URLCheck — it intercepts the default browser and allows both modifying the opened URL (to remove tracking) and forcefully preventing the embedded browser (the bottom-left button).
I’ve tried this solution and it doesn’t work. Chrome is running within the Google News app. Even if you modify Chrome on your phone to have adblockers, the version of the browser that Google News opens is unmodified.
Yeah, I have two solutions for you:
Get rid of the Google feed which is crap, and a total BS that it doesn’t support your default browser unless disabling or getting rid of Chrome, you can use an app like Discovery Killer to get rid of it and replace it for another app, as I’m currently using Kvaesitso I have no need for doing that (Discovery Killer currently frozen), I can’t recall if the app needs root though (root FTW anyway).
Continue to use it if you enjoy trash news sites with clic baits and such, you can block ads at a DNS level, through android settings or if you have a PiHole at the house, personally I use AdAway rooted version (root FTW x2) and my PiHole at house and with a VPN outside, I’m pretty sure AdAway tooks first, but meh, let’s have some redundancy 😂
I’m pretty sure that could have been mentioned in this thread but I just wanted to explain my setup.
If you don’t want to change launchers, you can use the blockada app. Activates as a vpn and blocks ads device-wide. https://blokada.org/#download
You need to disable the setting to “open web pages in the app”, you can find it in the general section in the Google feed settings. If your default browser is not chrome, it should open in that browser.
If it lets you disable Chrome (long tap → App Info), then do that. Otherwise you should use ADB to uninstall it like bloatware.
I have an option when it uses it’s internal browser to open in another browser. Sometimes it does that even though I’ve set it so l to use an external browser. But you should still be able to hit options in that internal browser and open in your default.