The Browservice FAQ

What is a browservice?

A browservice is a mobile device very similar to a smartphone in which the sole application running is a web browser, the runtime for the webfacts.

Where is the home screen?

What you see when the browservice starts isn’t exactly a home screen but just a list of your favorite webfacts.

Where is the phone?

No phone, the browservice supports data connections only. Alternatively, you might be interested in No.Phone, a nice (fictional) service that allows you to transfer or get a real phone number and receive/make calls as well sending/receive SMS from the web.

Why do the apps look so different from each other?

Well, because they are not apps, they are webfacts. There are many well-designed and poorly designed webfacts anyhow we don’t force their authors to follow web design guidelines, we only suggest following them.

Why some of these webfacts are so slow?

We do our best to make our web browser faster, but we are not able to control connectivity issues or poorly developed webfacts. As for design guidelines we only suggest development best practices to enhance performances and make webfacts available when connectivity is poor or absent.

Are webfacts available when the browservice is offline?

Some webfacts support offline usage, otherwise, the browservice would suggest you bookmark them in some conditions (e.g. when you are editing a text). Bookmarking a webfact, forces the browservice to make it available offline, alerting you about the storage required and any other hardware resources to which it could access.

Where I can find cool and trendy webfacts?

Well, you can search them using a search engine or following some communities such as Webbit, Hyper News, or Website Hunt. These communities can give you extra information about webfacts such as reviews, comments, and ratings about security, privacy, and UX.

Can I sell/promote my webfact on your store?

Sorry, we don’t have a store, but you are free to sell and advertise your service or your content using search engines and other popular webfacts.

Can I open multiple webfacts at the same time?

Yes, you can open multiple tabs just like any other web browser.

Can I receive notifications from webfacts?

Sure, some webfacts can run in the background (if you grant them) also when you are not browsing them. In this way, they can send you notifications and run another different types of “underground” tasks such as waiting for a phone call.

Where my photos are saved?

Every time you take a photo within a webfact, the photo will be saved on your device first (downloads tab) and then uploaded to the website. You can allow or deny a website to read, write and upload your content.

What happens when I download a file?

You can choose a bookmarked website to read on the fly or just save it in your downloads tab.

Can I share my content?

Yes, you can share your content using your preferred email service or your favorite social media.

Where I can set the default search engine?

You can set this and other preferences using the preferences tab.