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Puffin Browser is a web browser developed by CloudMosa. It uses cloud servers to process and compress web pages, with the aim of speeding performance and reducing bandwidth usage. It is available on various platforms, including Android, iOS (limited availability), and Windows. [1]
Puffin Browser primarily relies on remote servers to pre-process and render web pages, a design that aims to:
The browser has been noted for its built-in support for Adobe Flash (on older versions), although newer platforms abandoned Flash. Some versions include features such as an on-screen trackpad and a gamepad for browser-based games. [3]
CloudMosa introduced Puffin Browser in 2010 as a faster alternative to native browsers on mobile devices, positioning it to handle resource-intensive scripts using cloud computing technology. [4] Over time, the browser expanded to multiple platforms, offering free and paid (Pro) versions.
Puffin gained attention on iOS for its remote Flash rendering at a time when native Flash was not supported on Apple devices. [5] On Android, it competed with well-established browsers by touting faster load times for graphic-intensive sites.
A version for Microsoft Windows was released in beta form to test how cloud-based browsing would perform on desktop environments. [6] However, adoption rates and update frequency varied, with limited overall mainstream traction.
Because Puffin Browser processes data through remote servers, some users and privacy advocates raised concerns about data protection and encryption. CloudMosa stated that all traffic between the device and its servers is encrypted, but details about data handling beyond initial transmission remained a topic of debate. [7] Users noted that Flash support may introduce potential security vulnerabilities when not updated in sync with Flash security patches.
Reviews of Puffin Browser were mixed:
Puffin Browser claimed millions of downloads on the Google Play Store. On iOS, its presence has fluctuated due to Apple’s policies on browsers and third-party rendering engines. [9]
Some users and sources questioned whether Puffin’s performance metrics reflect real-world browsing speeds or were limited to certain websites. Critics also argued that routing web traffic through external servers could pose privacy risks if those servers are compromised or if logs are retained. [10]
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