Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

• I am new to Hermit, how do I get started?

  Check out our Getting Started guide.

• Why do I need Hermit?

  Hermit is a quick way to make web sites “feel” more like apps on Android. Yes, other browsers on Android can also add icons to your home screen. That’s not what Hermit is about. Compare →

Common Issues

• Why doesn’t the app recognize that I already purchased Premium?

  Some users have reported problems activating Premium, because of bugs in Google Play Store. Read more for how to fix this.

• How do I login to third-party Web sites using Google?

  Unblock Popups, and Unblock Third-Party Cookies to enable OAuth-based login. Read more →

• Can Hermit save passwords?

  Yes, you can use the AutoFill service by Google to enable this. But many users have told us that this is not reliable, and we are not 100% sure what the issue is. Read more →

• Why does the app start up so slowly on certain phones?

  Certain Android phone manufacturers kill your apps even when Google recommends that they should not do that. They make changes to the core Android OS with the expectation that it will improve battery life, but not only are those changes not even very effective, but they also break well-written battery-efficient apps. See instructions to fix this →

• Where did my icons go after rebooting?

  Some launchers, including those made by device manufacturers such as Samsung and Xiaomi, have bugs that prevent them from working well with shortcut icons. We recommend the excellent free Nova Launcher. Read more →

General Questions

• What permissions does Hermit require to function?

  Zero. No permissions are required for Hermit to run. Only if you use advanced features, certain permissions may be necessary. Read more →

• How do I delete a Lite App?

  Lite Apps can be managed through the List View. To delete or manage Lite Apps,

  • Switch from Grid View to List View first, using the icon.
  • For the selected Lite App, press the icon.
  • Then select “Remove”.

• How and why should I update Android WebView?

  For a safe, secure online browsing experience, always keep Android WebView updated to the latest version. Read more →

• Why are all Lite Apps synced at the same Sync Frequency?

  To save battery. Read more →

• Is the source code available?

  No, because we don’t want to encourage copycats who simply take open source code, put their own ads, and re-release the same app. Read more →

• How does Hermit reduce crashes?

  Read more for how we have achieved a 99.8% crash-free rate!

About Specific Lite Apps

• Can you add my favorite Lite App to the Library?

  Sure, we love to add new Web Apps to our Library, as long as they are mobile-friendly, fast, and light-weight. Read more →

• Can you add Feature X to Lite App Y?

  Hermit is a browser; we don’t control any sites on the Web. You should contact the owner/publisher of a specific site and ask them to add the features you want. Read more →

• Can Hermit create APKs or add apps to the App Drawer?

  Google Play policy does not allow apps to create APKs on the device. You can create your own APKs using source code that we provide. Read more →