https://github.com/ironfox-oss/IronFox

Fennec gives you Firefox with the telemetry stuff removed, and can use the same extensions as desktop Firefox.

I've had no complaints about Firefox for Android. It even supports privacy addons like NoScript and UBlock Origin.

Firefox or one of it's many many forks is the way to go. Personally I use IronFox as a browser that's locked down by default, with some heavy uBlock Origin as blocking (it's a less featured uMatrix), and an "on device VPN" app for DNS filtering for device wide ad blocking.

i use vivaldi. fine for mobile (just a browser) and really cool fpr desktop since you can customize the ui in any way you want.

Firefox is still an option, but if you aren't fond of Mozilla, you also have Fennec (the F-Droid build that removes telemetry bits by default) and IronFox (a more secure spin of Firefox)

You can decide whether to use Firefox Sync or not depending on how much you trust Mozilla, and extensions are supported on the Android version too! (in particular, I like uBlock Origin and Dark Background Light Text)

As for the desktop side (in case you need that as well), you have plenty of Firefox-based options as well, like LibreWolf (requires some configuration to disable some of the anti-finger printing stuff though), Zen Browser, and Floorp. Even plain Firefox is better than any Chromium-based options. You might also want to look out of Ladybird, which will use an independent engine (not Blink or Gecko!)

Librewolf seems like a go-to choice for many people like you. Assuming you are on mobile, you can try Waterfox (but it might become bloated like FF in a few months, I dunno) or kind of an ungoogled chromium. I tried AOSmium which is another one ungoogled chromium, it is too minimal for me but might be good for you. They also claim to have some Vanadium's privacy patches (you might try building Vanadium from source btw).

i use waterfox, it's been perfect.

https://www.privacyguides.org/en/mobile-browsers/

This may be a bit extreme but, try the Emacs Web Browser, no bloat in there.

The BS (trackers etc.) are on the web sites and you get them automatically unless your browser either actively filters them out, or implements an incomplete enough part of present-day web protocols that they don't receive the trackers (e.g. by not supporting Javascript).

Unfortunately, filtering trackers is a never-ending arms race, while using a browser for the "historical web" makes a lot of present-day sites inaccessible.

I.e. the problem is the web itself, not the browser, for the most part.

I use Firefox but have fairly aggressive umatrix origin (ad blocker) settings, if that helps.

I assumed that Firefox/Fennec was gonna be the main choice. That seemed to be the only browser that's functional.

Enshittification.

Firefox

I like Cromite for that, but I have to keep going back to chrome for certain things because websites have verification nonsense or something

Duckduckgo?

try helium

ah missed this was android - I use Firefox mobile with ublock origin and it works well.

Dillo

Ironfox or Omni browser.

Mullvad browser is great