OldPhone Browser
A Gecko-powered iOS browser pre-tuned for iPhones stuck on iOS 13-15, so older devices can finally load modern web apps, banking sites, and video.
iPhone owners on iOS 13-15 whose Safari keeps choking on modern JavaScript-heavy websites
- One-tap install with a guided setup that handles sideloading and JIT enablement without jargon
- Pre-set compatibility profiles for common problem sites (banks, video, gov portals) so they just work
- Privacy and tracker-blocking baked in by default since the browser isn't subject to WebKit's policies
- Family setup mode: install it remotely on a parent's iPhone via a shared link
Reynard is a viral GitHub hit (1.1k stars, trending on HN) because millions of iPhone users are still on iOS 14-15 with browsers that can't load modern sites.
Per iosref.com/Statcounter, iOS 15 and below combined account for only ~4% of live iOS usage (iOS 15 ~4.0%, iOS 14 ~0.3%, iOS 13 ~0.1%); real users exist but well short of the 'millions still active' framing — closer to tens of millions globally at most.iOS version usage — iOS Ref ↗GitHub - minh-ton/reynard-browser ↗
Reynard already occupies this exact niche (Gecko for iOS 13/14+) with 1.1k GitHub stars and a compiled sideload fork; additionally, Apple's DMA-compliant alt-engine path is EU-only and Open Web Advocacy reports it is still effectively blocked, so the 'ship a Gecko browser in the App Store' path is largely closed.Apple still blocks rival browser engines on iOS - AppleInsider ↗GitHub - byeCl0ud/reynard-browser-compiled ↗
Mobile browser market is dominated by free ad/sync-funded apps (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Brave, DuckDuckGo); target users on aged iPhones are among the least likely to pay $5–$10 for a sideloaded utility, and the App Store path needed for IAP/subscription is blocked outside the EU.Best iOS Browsers for iPhone & iPad in 2026 ↗Firefox Alternatives for iPhone: Top 12 Web Browsers ↗
The iOS 13–15 install base is shrinking every quarter as devices age out and Apple raises iOS minimums; even if the niche lasts 2–3 more years, sideload friction, Apple's anti-alt-engine rules, and the need to keep Gecko patches current for modern web features limit how long this can be a sustainable product.iOS version usage — iOS Ref ↗Apple's Browser Engine Ban Persists, Even Under the DMA ↗
Reynard demonstrates the core Gecko-on-iOS-sideload technique is workable, but real-world build is non-trivial: Gecko must be kept current, iOS packaging/sideloading is brittle, and the App Store distribution door is effectively closed outside the EU — so this is a buildable hobby project, not a trivial product.GitHub - minh-ton/reynard-browser ↗Using alternative browser engines in the European Union ↗