Mobile Tor — Handheld Hidden-Service Access

Desktop Tor Browser is not the only documented path to v3 onion services. This article covers Android Orbot and iOS Onion Browser configurations referenced in connectivity research, with emphasis on hostname transfer accuracy and bridge setup on constrained devices.

Android — Orbot

Install Orbot from F-Droid or Google Play. Enable VPN mode to route supported apps through Tor without root. After bootstrap reaches 100%, open a browser and paste a verified hostname from the Mirrors article. Avoid parallel VPN apps that conflict with Orbot's tun interface.

Configuration notes

Settings → Bridges → choose snowflake for aggressive mobile carrier blocks
Keep Orbot updated; guard selection changes with consensus
Dedicated profile: do not mix clearnet identity cookies with Tor sessions

iOS — Onion Browser

Onion Browser is the documented iOS client for hidden services. On first launch, configure bridges if bootstrap fails. Paste the full 56-character v3 string into the address bar — partial strings fail silently or resolve to unrelated services.

QR hostname transfer

Transcription errors in v3 hostnames are a common research failure mode. Generate a QR code of the full http://….onion URL on a trusted desktop, then scan from the mobile device. Only use QR sources that match a PGP-verified address list.

Bridges on mobile

Both Orbot and Onion Browser expose bridge configuration. Cellular networks may block different guard sets than home Wi-Fi — document transport choice per network type when publishing reachability notes. See Censorship Networks for selection guidance.