Need to access crucial information in a location with bad network coverage? Violoncello makes low-bandwidth browsing a more bearable experience. It allows you to stay connected and load webpages even with a weak connection.

What Is Violoncello?

Violoncello is a mobile browser that renders websites and webpages in pure text, without images or tables. It is a text-based browser that ignores fonts, CSS, and JavaScript and displays only the content structure and layout in the web page's HTML file.

Violoncello is only available on mobile platforms, such as Android and iOS. There are free and paid versions, with the paid version offering mainly customization features and allowing you to support the developer.

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Text-based web browsers load pages faster and use less bandwidth than graphical browsers like Firefox and Chrome. Violoncello is similar to the w3m browser, ideal for weak connections on desktop devices.

While not as powerful as some desktop text-based browsers (it does not support text boxes, for example), Violoncello provides basic functionality for users who need to stay online with limited connectivity. It allows you to view webpages without waiting minutes for them to load.

Reasons to Use Violoncello

There are several reasons to use Violoncello, especially if you often face unreliable network conditions:

Poor Network Connection: Violoncello is designed to render the Web in plain text, making it suitable for weak or unstable Internet connections. You can browse the Web and load webpages with a low bandwidth connection. Distraction-Free Browsing: It can also be useful when you need to read a text-heavy blog post or article, without the distraction of images and videos. You could also go for a more permanent switch by deleting/disabling every other browser on your phone and surfing solely with Violoncello. Reducing Mobile Data Usage: Violoncello can help when you are on a limited data plan and need to save every possible megabyte. Modern websites are often packed full of high-resolution images, videos, and other interactive elements that consume large amounts of data. Violoncello simplifies webpages by stripping away non-essential content and leaving only plain text. Less Resource-Intensive: Since it uses less data and requires fewer resources, Violoncello can help extend your battery life, especially when you are away from home without reliable power or signal. How Does Violoncello Work?

First, you must download the app from either the Play Store or the App Store. Opening Violoncello for the first time leads to a home page with recently visited pages at the top, a prompt to upgrade to Premium, and the app version at the bottom.

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Violoncello's interface is fairly easy to use. The Search bar at the bottom allows you to search for a term or enter a URL, and you can access the Main Menu via the icon to the left of the bar. From the Main Menu, you can reload the page, add/view bookmarks, navigate tabs, search pages to find text, share links, and print pages.

Clicking on Settings leads to a list of options that allows you to customize the browser's interface to suit your taste. I'd suggest changing the default search engine to DuckDuckGo as it is less finicky about HTML browsing than Google. You can also enable Floating Top Button and be sure to leave Show Site Navigation on.

Violoncello is not a perfect replacement for graphical mobile browsers like Chrome and Safari. Interaction-rich websites that rely on JavaScript (such as YouTube and Instagram) are mostly unusable. The Google homepage is also broken since text boxes don't work.

However, Violoncello excels at browsing simpler, content-driven sites focusing on reading rather than interaction. It's perfect for reading news articles and blogs or doing quick research when you need information but don't require full web functionality. Violoncello's strengths outweigh its limitations for users in low-network areas or those trying to conserve data.