Amazon Fire Tablets- Alternative Browsers

 As these are so cheap at the moment, I thought it would be worth retesting browser options, the preinstalled Silk Browser is functional but there are no extensions or an import setting for bookmarks and passwords which is a bit of a pain. I know there are many instructions for installing the Google Play Store on to these tablets, which appears to work at first try, then you can download Chrome or any other browser, but I found the play store drains the battery rapidly, it hogs a core of the CPU obviously repeatedly trying to do something which it cannot on the Fire Tablet. 

Side loading was the option I choose without the Google Play Store https://www.apkmirror.com/ has most of the apps you would need, so which browsers work without needing the play store? Firefox was the first option and that works, and also allows you install the uBlock Origin adblocker extension. 

If you want a Chromium based browser then Yandex is the best https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/yandex-apps/yandex-browser/yandex-browser-21-11-2-101-release/ .If you also install the Adguard Content blocker for Samsung and Yandex https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/adguard-software-limited/adguard-content-blocker/adguard-content-blocker-2-6-2-release/ you can then enable adblocking in the Yandex Browser, it's hidden away in the browser settings.

Both Firefox and Yandex are fully functional without the Google Play Store, Yandex Disc will also store all your photos, unlimited storage, and unlike Google Photos they are stored in their original quality. https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/yandex-apps/yandex-disk/yandex-disk-5-12-0-release/  

To allow sideloading you need to go to settings and allow other sources, the APK files will download into the Amazon Documents app, where you just click to install. To keep these apps up to date install APKGrabber which will tell you when you need to update the apps https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/hemker/apkgrabber/apkgrabber-1-7-0-release/

Out of interest I tried to install Microsoft Edge which I assumed would not rely on the Google Play Services app, it did install and open, but that was it, it would not function so I assume it does rely on something from Google.

For email and calendar just put your Outlook or Google user and password into the preinstalled Amazon apps and they work without any extra requirements, you will have to import your contacts, other than that there's no more configuration needed. 

I installed Yandex Mail https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/yandex-apps/yandex-mail/yandex-mail-8-2-1-release/ which if you have already made an account for the browser or Disc will automatically login for you, this gives you a calendar and everything you would normally get from Google.

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