Google Chrome Collects Most User Data Among Top Mobile Browsers, Study Finds

A new study by VPN service Surfshark reveals that Google Chrome collects the most types of user data among the ten most popular mobile browsers. The research, based on 2025 data from AppMagic for the US Apple App Store, found Chrome gathers 20 different data categories including contact details, financial information, location, browsing and search history, user content, identifiers, and usage data. Notably, Chrome is the only browser among those tested that collects financial data such as payment methods and credit card details, as well as phone contact lists.

In comparison, the other nine browsers collect an average of only six data types. Microsoft’s Bing search engine app ranks second, collecting 12 types of data. On the privacy-friendly end, Brave browser collects only basic identifiers and usage data, while the Tor browser collects no data at all, making it the most private option tested.

About 40% of the browsers surveyed collect user location data. Chrome, Safari, and Opera collect coarse location, whereas Bing collects precise location. Browsers like Bing, Opera, and Pi Browser gather data for third-party advertising, with Edge, Bing, and Pi also tracking users. Pi Browser stands out negatively by collecting five types of tracking data including browsing and search history, device ID, usage, and advertising data.

DuckDuckGo and Firefox show moderate data collection, mainly contact info, identifiers, and diagnostic data, with DuckDuckGo collecting contact info only if users subscribe to its Privacy Pro service. Despite privacy concerns, Chrome and Safari remain the dominant browsers globally, accounting for about 90% of iPhone browser market share. In the US, Safari leads with 50% versus Chrome’s 43%, while in France, Chrome dominates with 74%.