Tech Watch: Onion Browser for iPhone allows encrypted browsing, Tor traffic tunneling

Onion Browser, an app just released for the iPhone and iPad, uses the Tor network to allow users to access the Internet with encryption and anonymity. The app, which is not made by the Tor Project, is available for $0.99 in the iTunes store.

The website lists the following features and benefits of the browser:

• Internet access is tunneled through the Tor network: traffic is sent through an encrypted tunnel and over several "onion router" machines before reaching the destination.
• Websites do not see your actual IP address.
• Web browsing activities are protected from eavesdropping by ISPs or other users of your wireless or wired network
• Freely access the entire internet from behind restrictive firewalls.
• Access to the "dark net" of hidden services (".onion" web sites) not accessible via the regular internet
• Ability to spoof HTTP User-Agent header.
• Ability to change cookie storage policy (Allow All / Block Third Party / Block All)
• “New Identity” button clears cookies, history, and cache and requests a new IP address in one quick step.
• Startup page contains a list of well-known, stable .onion sites.

Tor software is, however, officially available for Android. According to Tor's website, the software, called Orbot, "allows mobile phone users to access the web, instant messaging and email without being monitored or blocked by their mobile internet service provider."