Curious about delving into the mysterious world of the dark web from the convenience of your phone? While accessing the dark web can be risky and potentially illegal, it is possible to do so with caution. Here are some steps to help you get started:
- A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address, making it harder for anyone to trace your online activities.
- However, you can enable protection by using a reliable VPN provider.
- If you make mistakes while browsing the dark web, like sharing personal information, your anonymity can still be compromised.
- This can have a detrimental impact on your device or, even worse, expose your personal information.
Tips to Access the Dark Web Safely Safely
Step 1: Install a Secure Browser
Every communication is encrypted, so even the simplest transaction requires a PGP key. Many dark websites are set up by scammers, who constantly move around to avoid the wrath of their victims. Even commerce sites that may have existed for a year or more can suddenly disappear if the owners decide to cash in and flee with the escrow money they’re holding on behalf of customers. Get Avast BreachGuard for Mac to protect your privacy and keep your personal data from falling into the wrong hands. Get Avast BreachGuard for PC to protect your privacy and keep your personal data from falling into the wrong hands.
Legal Uses of the Dark Web
The first step is to download and install a secure browser like Tor Browser on your phone. Tor Browser is designed to protect your privacy and anonymity while browsing the internet, making it a popular choice for accessing the dark web.
Step 2: Connect to a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
You are able to find websites on the surface web because they are marked as “indexable,” meaning search engines can index and rank them. The sites are readily available on the search engine results pages (SERPs). The internet is home to billions of websites — an estimated 1.7 billion to be exact, although that number changes every day as new sites are made and others are deleted.
Download the Tor browser
To add an extra layer of security and anonymity, it’s recommended to connect to a VPN before accessing the dark web. A VPN will help mask your IP address and encrypt your internet connection, making it harder for anyone to track your online activities.
It is full of scammers, malware, and phishing websites — and these are just a few of the dangers. The main risks of visiting the dark web can be found in the table below. My advice is to research before entering sites you find through search engines and protect your personal information with a highly secure VPN. Other popular dark web engines include Ahmia, Torch, and Not Evil. When using dark web search engines, it’s important to exercise caution and refrain from clicking on suspicious links or accessing illegal content. The deep web is the private layer, and it’s often password-protected.
Step 3: Access Onion Websites
And if you are visiting deep web sites such as your online credit card portal, use a virtual private network, or VPN. A VPN hides your IP address from snoops and also encrypts your information while online. This keeps government bodies, advertisers and hackers from reading the messages you send and websites you visit while online. Hackers and others, then, won’t be able to decipher your password when you log into your online bank account. As a result, it is easy to infect your machine by clicking links or downloading information.
Once you have Tor Browser and a VPN set up on your phone, you can start exploring the dark web by visiting .onion websites. These websites have unique URLs that can only be accessed through Tor Browser.
On your Android or iOS device, download and install a browser app capable of accessing the Tor network on mobile. For Android we recommend Tor Browser, as it is built by The Tor Project. Despite there being no official iOS app built by Tor Project, they have endorsed Onion Browser—an open source Tor browser. It’s a place where illegal activities are not uncommon, and there are ill-intentioned individuals who are ready to exploit unsuspecting users.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to remember that the dark web is known for its illicit activities and potential dangers. Proceed with caution and avoid clicking on any suspicious links or engaging in illegal activities. By following these steps and staying vigilant, you can safely explore the dark web on your phone.
