Hermit is a browser application for people who want to turn websites into dedicated Lite apps and manage web content through a range of built-in tools. Its browser interface supports customization, reading controls, content blocking, and monitoring features for different browsing and web-access tasks.
When a website needs a dedicated Lite app
Hermit can search for or set up Lite versions of native apps and websites. These Lite apps provide a separate way to open selected web services from the browser, while their appearance can be adjusted with a personalized icon and theme. This is useful when you want selected sites organized as individual browser-based applications rather than opened only as ordinary tabs.
The app also includes a custom backup solution for Lite apps when moving between devices. The source describes this as a way to back up those app configurations, giving the backup function a specific role when Lite apps need to be transferred.
When reading should stay focused
Reader Mode extracts articles on the device. That processing approach is documented as a privacy-supporting feature for reading web articles, while Dark Mode changes the display for late-night reading. Together, these tools address situations where the main task is reading rather than interacting with the full page layout.
Hermit also includes an in-app content blocker that can be customized to block specific websites or hosts according to the selected options. Its broader blocking function is described as covering advertisements and other harmful content that can slow down a phone, but the source does not define a complete list of blocked material.
When browsing requires different page views or navigation
A custom user agent lets you identify the browser as mobile, desktop, or another user-defined type. This supports websites that present different versions of a page based on the browser identity. On supported devices, Multi Window allows two Lite Apps to be used at once.
For navigation problems in which the Back button returns to the same page, Hermit provides Double Back. The feature is intended for that repeated-page situation rather than as a general replacement for normal browser navigation.
When web updates need ongoing attention
Hermit can deliver Atom or RSS feed notifications when a website publishes new content. For sites without supported feeds, Web Monitors can watch a specific part of a web page and notify you when that monitored area changes.
When browsing needs user-controlled extensions
Users can run their own custom extension scripts through the User Scripts feature. This provides a way to add user-supplied script behavior to browsing, while the source does not specify which scripts are included or what each script will change.