uc browser opens. UCBrowser for PC - a worthy competitor for Google Chrome or not

Hello active Internet user! Today, under the heading OFFTOP, we, dear reader, will consider a new interesting desktop browser called UC Browser. The brainchild from the Middle Kingdom began to expand to adult platforms, but first, let's digress a little from the topic. Your obedient servant is rather strange obsessed with software and the things around it. The mathematical composition of the mind makes you look for consistency and patterns in everything. So, for example, not so long ago I completely and completely switched to software from Google on all my devices, and a little earlier I was content with the concept of the best solutions in each individual direction. That's why if UC Browser makes me replace myself Google Chrome, then I'll have to move from Google Drive back to Dropbox and do the same with many other solutions. I think you get the gist. Now let's get back to UCBrowser, which I'm actively testing right now.

To begin with, it is worth noting that at the time of writing the material, UC Browser is at the stage of final beta testing, which, nevertheless, will not prevent us from looking at its main functionality, which we will try to do in the next few paragraphs.

UC Browser for PC - platforms, installation and more

You can download UC Browser from the link on the official website of the developer. At the time of writing, the desktop version of the browser works without any problems on a PC with an operating system installed. Windows system. There is no specific information about solutions for Mac and, accordingly, OS X, however, we are sure that something similar will arrive in time in the very near future.

Minimum system requirements Unfortunately, we couldn't find it on the official website of the developer, but we are sure that it will work adequately on almost all possible machines that have not yet become overgrown with moss.

By the way, the browser is distributed absolutely free of charge and at the time of writing the material, it is not entirely clear to us how its monetization is planned. With the same Google Chrome, everything is clear - it is not a profitable solution for the search giant, but a popularizer of its main services, which, in fact, bring money.


(Installation process of UC Browser for PC)

UC Browser for PC - program interface

The interface of the program is the next thing that I want to draw your attention to. It was created to please modern minimalistic trends, which became especially clearly visible after the release of the mobile phone. operating system iOS 7. The top part of UC Browser is given over to three functional lines. The first is necessary for working with tabs, the middle one is a set of control options, and the bottom one is a tabbed panel. For some reason unknown to me, at the time of writing the material, the address bar, which also acts as a search bar, was supplemented with a separate search field. Why duplicate functions?! There are also tabs with the last opened pages. Otherwise, nothing new or unusual is provided.


(First look at UC Browser)

UC Browser for PC - Synchronization

One of the most important points for me is the synchronization of tabs and other delights of modern software. UC Browser is built on a similar Google Chrome engine, so it pulls links from it without any problems. Moreover, UC Browser has mobile applications for all possible platforms, so synchronization is possible between the desktop version and all of them.


(Setting up synchronization)

UC Browser for PC - addons

Since UC Browser is built on a platform similar to Google Chrome, almost all add-ons for the second application are supported by the first. Thus, it turns out that the solution from the Middle Kingdom has a very impressive set of auxiliary functions already at the time of launch.


(Additions)

UC Browser for PC - Themes

At the time of writing, UC Browser has already created two dozen diverse themes, and their number is constantly increasing. Naturally, I liked the standard one the most, however, I am sure that such functionality will definitely find its fans.


(Themes)

UC Browser for PC - settings and additional features

As you can see, the key features of UC Browser are practically no different from those in the same Google Chrome. What is interesting about our new friend from the Middle Kingdom? I liked the large number of tabbed browsing options, managing open pages with right-click gestures, the ability to speed up the overall program performance, and the built-in ad blocker.


(Additional app features)


What is the sum? To be honest, I did not find any factors for switching from Google Chrome to UC Browser. Interestingly, do you see the obvious advantages of a solution from the Middle Kingdom?

pros: Some really interesting features that, in theory, can improve the life of a potential user.
Minuses: Insufficient, as I think, their significance for the transition from another browser.
conclusions: UC Browser is a copy of Google Chrome spiced up with a couple of unique features.

On a smartphone or tablet, he approaches this issue with a grain of salt. However, we did the same in the case of the UC Browser browser for Android OS.

Introduction

Among the huge number of browsers, both for desktop and mobile platforms, there are very few truly unique products. We can see crafts based on the main browser "engines", which differ from each other only due to their design and some additional functions. Everything else, including the speed of work, is the same. But, a pleasant exception was the browser for the Android OS - UC Browser, which became the hero of our short review.

Where to download UC Browser

Let's say right away that there are several versions of the "UK Browser" for downloading on Android. In addition to the standard version, a program with an HD index and a Mini index is available. As you might guess, in the first case we are talking about a mobile browser focused on a large screen resolution, while the second option is appropriate to use on Android smartphones with small displays, where many interface elements of a standard UC browser simply would not fit. In addition, the mini-browser weighs almost ten times less than its older counterparts - a little over 1.3 MB. Apk distribution kit UC you can download on w3bsit3-dns.com, Google Play or the link:

UC Browser 7 start screen

Most of the applications for the Android operating system are evaluated by its start screen. This is the appearance of the program, which determines how pleasant it will be to work with the main functions and features. In our case, UCBrowser boasts a simple appearance, however, by the instant rendering of the information feed. We are talking about a kind of "live feed" in the browser, which includes a page of humor, the most interesting from social networks, news resources, recommendations and announcements of films and series, screenshots from computer games and much more. In any case, you can customize the tape yourself. However, it all starts with the dating page, where we are offered to take part in the improvement program.

And only after that we see all that abundance of useful, and not very, data. There will also be labels for the main social networks, information search services, e-mail and so on. And at the very top of the screen you can find the address bar and the search bar. The refresh ribbon icon looks completely unnoticeable.

Online video support in UC Browser

A very pleasant surprise was that the browser plays online video on a smartphone without any problems, with almost no slowdown on devices with an average configuration. Moreover, the first time you start such a video, and then switch to full screen mode, your eyes will see a small hint. According to her, a vertical scroll on the left side of the screen will adjust the brightness, on the right - the sound, and horizontal movements will help you quickly move through the video. Virtual keys are also available there - back, home, recent applications.

Pic1 - UC Browser has built-in support for online video, as well as night mode

Browser menu

A separate topic of conversation is the UC Browser menu. It is localized, (available in this browser in Russian) consists of a small line at the top of the screen.

Menu in latest version UC Browser is quite intuitive and in Russian, it's not difficult to figure it out

Navigation in UC Browser for Android

The first part of the menu is navigational elements. On the left side of the screen there are "forward" and "back" keys that allow you to navigate through the navigation history. Next comes the address bar, visually aligned with the search bar. And, of course, there is a button to refresh the content on the page.

UC Browser Settings

The most visible element of the browser is the settings menu. It is a two-by-four tile, and there are two such tiles.

Bookmarks

Everything is simple here - we have a list of bookmarks with brief description what lies behind them. You can edit, add and remove them as you wish.

Story

The browser history includes only those addresses that you visited in open mode. But private tabs are not stored here. This is very convenient if we do not want to leave traces of our work on a mobile device.

Add-ons for UC Browser

Here you can view what is installed from the add-ons, as well as carry out certain manipulations with these same built-in extensions.

Other browser elements

They include a duplicate button to refresh the page, expand it to full screen, the "My Videos" and "Downloads" folders, as well as the exit button from the UC Browser 7 application. In fairness, it should be noted that you can exit the program using more traditional methods - by pressing the "back" or "home" key. But, in this case, the process is easier and faster.

Settings

The second tab in UC Browser 7 has a detailed settings button where you can adjust the behavior of the browser, as well as make it work the way you want. If you do not understand the essence of a particular option, then it is better to leave it in its original state.

Themes for "Squirrels"

An extremely interesting opportunity for customization is support for design themes. Such a simple feature in any mobile browser is in high demand, as an ugly application in itself repels users.

Additional items in UC Browser

These include the key to fit the site to the screen size, the key to switch the day / night mode, the help button, the ability to leave a review, and the button for setting the output of notifications.

UC Browser app tabs

For convenient work with tabs in the UC browser, there is an icon in the upper right corner of the screen. It displays a horizontal list of open tabs, each with a close button. Also, there are icons for cloud download and private browsing mode.

conclusions

The free browser UC Browser was able to do what others could not do - it showed decent speed, convenience and quality. And this is exactly what users are looking for in a free and paid mobile browser. In addition, sites on the screen of a mobile device are displayed correctly, there are no artifacts or the effect of "scattering". Confirmed high level browser performance and nearly half a billion app downloads. If you liked the set of features, then you can download UCBrowser, especially since it is completely free for private use.

Main screen

The main screen of the browser is a whole directory with a list of sites arranged by category. But the most necessary ones are presented as icons at the top of the interface. For beginners who can't find the Android apps they need, there's even separate category, where there are programs for Android.

From time to time, small updates appear in the catalog, where developers add relevant information. You can usually notice changes around the holidays. For example, on Victory Day there was even a category where there were links to military films and military literature.

But although the catalog is well designed, any information is easily found in it, nevertheless, we cannot edit it according to our needs, and this can already be attributed to the minuses. On the strength, you can edit the category "Most visited sites", removing everything superfluous there.

There is enough freedom for the user - you can delete or add any site. Adding a new site to the list is much easier than you might think. You can not enter the site address manually, but select it from the history, bookmarks. The list of sites can be sorted manually in any order or make separate categories / folders.

It even has its own RSS Reader, which, although very simple, is enough to read news that can be sorted by topic.

Working with sites

UC Browser supports a convenient function of fitting text to the width of the screen, so you can scale the web page as you like, it will still be readable.

The developer took great care of the users by adding 2 viewing modes - "zoom" and "under the screen". This is very convenient for viewing those sites that do not have a mobile version, but full version not intended for viewing on mobile devices. Only here there is one catch, as some sites offer information not in one column, but in two. That's when you have to work with your fingers to navigate the page to the left or right. However, UC Browser does not have this problem and this makes it different from other browsers. We must use the Under Screen mode. Then the site will fit perfectly into the screen size of your mobile device. In fact, this is the display of the site page in its mobile version without horizontal scrolling and in the form of one column.

It is also important to note that UC Browser supports Flash, although the plugin is disabled by default and its work is enabled only by tap. There is also an automatic ad blocker.

If you often use the browser with the lights off at night, then it is better to turn on UC Browser in Night Mode. Then the background of the site will turn black, the font will turn white, and the screen brightness will decrease to a comfortable level.

Note the item “Start guarding”. I think this paragraph made you smile, because the translation and localization editors of the UC Browser version made a small mistake using an inaccurate translation. A useful feature is hidden behind the strange name - you can take notes directly on top of the image. If you open an image with a map, you can mark the route on it. Or you can write its price on the photo of a product, etc. There are many applications for the “Start Watching” function.

Interface

By tradition, at the very top of the screen is the address bar with a built-in hint system. As soon as you start manually entering the site address, UC Browser will offer you one of the options for finishing, reworking the entire history of open sites and your bookmarks. The address bar is also designed to search for information, and you can separately search for music and video.

If you need to bookmark a site and move the link to it to the main browser screen, then to the left of the address bar you will find an asterisk icon. Click on it and everything will be done. You can even make a link to the site as a shortcut on the device's home screen.

Briefly note the presence of an additional menu with 4 items:

To free up more space for browsing the web page, scrolling down moves the address bar up and off the screen. To make it appear again, you will have to press the Menu button.

At the bottom of the page we have an additional panel with navigation buttons: Back, Forward, Menu, Open tabs, Home.

The main menu of UC Browser can be opened by pressing the Menu key on the phone or the on-screen key. The menu interface is divided into 3 tabs: General, Settings, Tools.

UC Browser has a full screen mode in landscape orientation and an additional panel is already located at the top of the screen, where there are a number of additional fictions.

For greater convenience of working with UC Browser, UCWeb developers have added support for gestures. There is a standard set of gestures, such as swipe up to close a tab, swipe down to open a new tab. The important thing is that everything works in the browser without slowdowns, the animation is drawn and worked out perfectly.

Traffic saving mode. "Quick mode".

If you have the opportunity to work with the browser only with a mobile connection, then it is better to turn on the "Quick Mode" and you can save up to 90% of mobile traffic, at least this is what the developers promise. I think that the option works almost the same as in Opera Mini, when the main traffic passes through an intermediary proxy server. Please note that "Quick Mode" only works when "Under Screen" is enabled. Strangely, the "Quick Mode" does not want to work in the "Zoom" mode and it automatically turns off. However, I will note personal impressions - although the “Quick Mode” saves 2 times more traffic, it does not allow opening large pictures even when it is needed, but, in principle, due to this, there is a big saving.

Additional features of UC Browser

UDisk - a cloud for storing files with full integration with the UC Browser browser, a very useful option so that at any time you can save any file in the cloud storage and not take up space in the memory of your mobile device, as well as to save on mobile traffic and download what you need later when connection to Wi-Fi internet.- downloading files not to the device's memory, but directly to the cloud storage.

- download files for viewing "for later". There is support for downloading videos from YouTube and VKontakte.
Sync tabs to the cloud -here and so everything is clear, although this option works very strange. When registering a new account to work with UC Sync, we have to try to do something on a site that is not very clear with unreadable text.

Conclusion

The US Browser browser is actually very interesting, convenient and functional, but there are controversial points - this is not always the correct translation, the synchronization system that has not been fully developed, the inability to manually edit the site catalog on the main page of the browser, not always the logical arrangement of functions in the menu. But for simple web surfing, UC Browser is still handy with useful and simple functions- support for Flash, auto-correct site scale, traffic saving, night mode, custom themes, offline video download for further viewing, cloud storage, resume when the connection is broken. You can download UC Browser for Android by

If you wish, then you should familiarize yourself with all the features of this program in advance. Only a small number of users are aware that UC Browser settings– the hidden settings of UC Browser are truly limitless. If you can understand all the tricks of this program, then you will feel complete freedom on the Internet.

Where can I find settings in UC Browser?

After you have downloaded or mobile platform, you should click on the button with three horizontal stripes and click "Settings". There is nothing easier than doing this action.

On the Internet, you can find information that there are hidden UC Browser settings that are available only on certain versions or phones. This statement is absolutely wrong - all settings are available to each user. You may not be able to find them because they are "hidden" in nested menu items.

  • General settings - setting up the start page, choosing a default browser, setting up search engines or program tabs;
  • New tabs - rules for opening new tabs in the browser;
  • Address bar - rules for maintaining the history of addresses, requests;
  • Acceleration - here you can increase the speed of loading web pages;
  • Ad blocker - disable or configure the built-in;

Thus, in just one evening you can set up your favorite browser in the way that is convenient for you. Be sure that the time spent will certainly pay off, as you will save time every day on unnecessary actions.

Hundreds of millions of people have already appreciated all the benefits of UC Browser. We recommend installing a single browser for all available equipment right now in order to be able to synchronize settings between devices!