Many tech-minded people will tell you that what you see as visual web content today is built on three pillars: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. In the early days, a respectable web site had to rely on HTML (and later CSS) to display and render all its content. Yes, it was boring, static, and without the thrills and spills of interactivity the world has become accustomed to today. Then came JavaScript to the rescue!
Making JavaScript Work on Android
Bearing in mind that JavaScript is a programming language that can do many amazing things, knowing how to enable JavaScript on Android is a big deal. Thankfully, unless you are a programmer, your interactions with JavaScript will be through a web browsing app. This means enabling Google Chrome’s or Opera’s abilities or of your preferred app.
The process is quite simple, and we will outline how to get it done in the generic Android browser and Google Chrome in the next section. For other browsing apps, a search online for videos or documentation will do the trick, but if you at least have a mild hacker’s heart, you could snoop around the settings area of your browser of choice.
Enabling JavaScript in the Generic Android Browser
First, let’s cover the browser that comes preloaded on Android devices.
- Launch the app
- Tap on menu
- From the menu dropdown, tap settings
- Locate the advanced option and tap
- Tap on the option to enable JavaScript
Enabling Javascript in Google Chrome
- After launching Chrome, tap the menu icon
- From options displayed, tap settings
- Find and tap on site settings
- Tap on the JavaScript option to enable
Android and JavaScript
The Windows, IOS, and Android operating systems all have native support for JavaScript. After all, no smart thinking platform developer would want to miss out on making their users’ web experience as engaging as possible, in effect keeping them away from the open arms of the market rivals. In simple terms, Android web apps are fully JavaScript compatible.
Why Do You Need JavaScript?
JavaScript deals with a lot of things. Every time your email address pops up when you’re filling a text field, and every time you get an instant notification from Facebook without refreshing the page – that’s JavaScript. It’s also responsible for providing helpful suggestions when you start typing into the Google search bar.
From games, video players, smart maps, and auto-fill actions, JavaScript makes your web experience come alive. Sometimes you might even feel as though your web page has a mind and memory of its own.
A Word of Caution
As incredible and awe-inspiring as JavaScript can be, it’s worth noting that using it has some definite risks. Bad guys could use Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) to steal data, spread malware, or even manipulate a user’s browser remotely. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSFR) attacks are similar, as their purpose is to gain control of a user’s information and browsing session remotely due to poor site development.
Even harmless but unwanted pop-ups are made possible through JavaScript. Some people view these as valid reasons to keep JavaScript permanently disabled, but taking some security measures could allow you to keep it enabled without having to worry about anything.
Protecting yourself online is of the utmost importance to any user. Be sure only to visit sites that use the HTTPS protocol as much as possible. Keep an eye out for the padlock sign in the address bar at all times. If a site looks or feels malicious, don’t hesitate to run a review check on Google. There’s a good chance other users might have picked up on something or already been victims. It would be wiser to err on the side of caution than to lose your precious data or have malicious malware on your hands.
In Conclusion
If enjoying the best of the web is your desire, then it’s JavaScript or nothing on your Android device. Even though you may have to endure a JavaScript-powered pop up now and then, it won’t hurt that much so long as you do your due diligence. The benefits far outweigh JavaScript’s downsides, so it’s well worth it.
