TOR and Orbot | Pranshu05

🧅 What is TOR (The Onion Router)?

TOR is a free, open-source privacy network that lets you browse the internet anonymously. It routes your internet traffic through a chain of three random servers (called nodes or relays), each adding/removing a layer of encryption, like peeling an onion.

Here’s how it works:

Your device → Entry Node → Middle Node → Exit Node → Website

Each node only knows the previous and next step, not the entire path. So neither your ISP nor the website you're visiting can link the traffic directly to you.

TOR isn’t illegal or sketchy, it’s just a tool. What you do with it is up to you. For many people, TOR is about safety, freedom, and reclaiming a bit of privacy.

Imagine sending your request through 3 strangers before it reaches the destination, and each of those strangers only knows the next person in line. That’s how TOR protects your identity.

🧅 Each layer of encryption peels off at a different relay, just like peeling an onion. Hence, the name.

Jains don’t peel onions, but TOR users do. It’s all about layers of privacy.

Why I Started Caring About Privacy

We all browse the internet every day, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, sometimes just spiraling down random rabbit holes at 2 AM. But it hit me at some point:

“I don’t like how much of my data is being collected, tracked, and sold without my knowledge.”

I started reading more about surveillance, online tracking, and censorship. Not from a hardcore activist lens, just as a regular guy who wanted to explore the other side of the web. That’s when I stumbled upon TOR and later, Orbot.

And surprisingly, what started as a curiosity turned into something meaningful, especially when I explored Orbot. I realized that using TOR wasn’t just about hiding from the internet, it was about owning how I show up in it.

What is Orbot?

TOR is great, but on Android, how do you route your apps or system traffic through TOR? That’s where Orbot comes in.

Orbot is an Android app by the Guardian Project that:

Connects apps (like browsers, Signal, DuckDuckGo) to the TOR network,
Allows full-device TOR routing using VPN Mode,
And lets you support the TOR network using Kindness Mode, which I’ll get to in a bit.

It’s like having your own portable TOR node right on your phone.

My Setup: TOR Browser for Browsing, Orbot for Kindness

Here’s the truth, I don’t use Orbot for browsing. TOR Browser exists for that and does the job way better. It’s optimized, has built-in protections, and works well even on Android. Whenever I want to browse anonymously, access .onion sites, or read uncensored news, I use TOR Browser.

But I do run Orbot every day, just not for browsing.

I run it because of one underrated feature:

🤝 Kindness Mode.

The Kindness Feature, A Node for the People

When I first saw Kindness Mode in Orbot, I thought: “Okay, nice name, what does it actually do?”

Turns out, Kindness Mode lets your phone become a TOR relay, not an exit node, just a part of the encrypted chain helping others stay anonymous.

This means that when someone in another part of the world tries to access a website anonymously, your device might help pass their encrypted data along, safely, securely, and anonymously.

You’re not exposing yourself. You’re not responsible for their browsing. You're just contributing bandwidth to the TOR network, like being a digital samaritan in the shadows.

And this hit me hard:

I'm able to browse anonymously because some stranger decided to give back to the network. So now, I want to give back too.

So I toggled it on.

And honestly, that small act made me feel more connected to the internet in a weirdly ethical way.

How Kindness Mode Works (Without the Fluff)

Here’s the technical side of it:

Your phone becomes a non-exit relay.
No one can use your device to access the open internet.
You just help relay encrypted packets from one node to the next.
It uses your internet and some battery, but stays in the background.

No need to root your phone. No crazy configs. Just turn it on, and your phone becomes a quiet part of something bigger, something that helps others stay safe and uncensored.

It’s literally privacy powered by people.

Real Talk: My Experience with Orbot

After a few weeks of use, here’s how it went for me:

✅ Stability: The app hasn’t crashed once. It just works.
🔋 Battery: Slight drain when running full-time, especially with Kindness Mode on. Manageable.
📶 Network Impact: Doesn’t hog my bandwidth noticeably. Streams, downloads, and gaming still worked fine.
🧘🏽‍♂️ Peace of Mind: Knowing I’m giving back while scrolling memes, that’s a vibe.

Sure, there are small bugs sometimes. And yes, you’ll see captchas if you browse through TOR. But that’s part of the experience.

Why You Should Try Kindness Mode Too

A lot of people use privacy tools like TOR passively. And that’s okay. But if you want to step up, even a little, Kindness Mode is a low-cost, high-impact way to do it.

You don’t need to be technical. You don’t need to run a server or be a coder. Just:

Install Orbot.
Turn on Kindness Mode.
Keep it running in the background when you’re on WiFi.

And just like that, you’re helping make the web more private, free, and fair for everyone.

In a world of surveillance capitalism and censorship, running a TOR relay is one of the quietest forms of rebellion.

Final Reflections

I’m not a security expert. I’m just a normal internet user trying to do better.

Using TOR Browser for privacy and Orbot’s Kindness Mode to support others, that’s my way of giving back. I’m not perfect. I still use Google. I still doomscroll on Twitter. But every bit counts.

It's not about hiding from the internet.
It's about owning how you show up in it.

Got Questions?

If you're curious about TOR, Orbot, or how to get started, feel free to reach out. I’m not an expert, but I’ve been there, and I’d be happy to help you get started.