As blockchain adoption accelerates, decentralized applications (DApps) are gaining tremendous traction among crypto users. Easy mobile access to these DApps is crucial, and that‘s where Trust Wallet‘s in-built DApp browser plays a vital role.
Trust Wallet, founded in 2017 and later acquired by Binance in 2018, has emerged as one of the leading multi-chain non-custodial wallets – with over 5 million users as per latest reports. It offers support for 4.5 million crypto assets, along with a built-in Web3 DApp browser.
The Growing Importance of Decentralized Apps and Mobile Support
Decentralized applications are blockchain-based apps with the backend code running on distributed networks, instead of centralized servers. These DApps span various categories like decentralized finance (DeFi), NFT marketplaces, games, social media, identity platforms and more.
According to DappRadar, over 3 million users interact with decentralized applications daily – highlighting the exponential growth and demand. DeFi protocols facilitate over $5 Billion in transactions daily, without centralized intermediaries.
Easy mobile access enables wider mainstream adoption among crypto users to utilize and benefit from these DApps conveniently. Trust Wallet emerged as one of the first crypto wallets to integrate an in-built DApp browser for seamless onboarding of new users.
However, due to recent App Store policy changes, Trust had to remove the DApp browser from their iOS app, while continuing its availability on Android.
In this comprehensive guide, let‘s explore how to re-enable the DApp browser on Trust Wallet for both Android and iOS users.
Step-by-Step Guide to Enable DApp Browser on Android
Enabling the Web3 DApp browser on Trust Wallet‘s Android app is quite straightforward. Just follow these steps:
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Download the latest version of Trust Wallet (v6.13 at publishing date) from the Play Store.
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Launch the Trust Wallet app on your Android device. If you already have an account, log in using your credentials. New users can create an account, which only takes a few seconds.
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Once logged in, you will see the Wallets tab by default. Now tap on the Settings (gear) icon at the bottom right corner to access options.
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This will open the Settings menu. Here, tap on the Preferences option to toggle specific features.
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Under Preferences, you will find the DApp Browser option. Tap on it.
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This will open a toggle button to enable/disable the in-built browser. Tap on the toggle to enable DApp browser.
That‘s it! The DApp browser is now activated within Trust Wallet.
To access it, simply tap on the DApps tab at the bottom, which will now be visible. You‘ll see listed DApps under categories like DeFi, NFT, Collectibles etc.
For instance, to use leading DEX Uniswap:
- Tap on DApps > DeFi > Uniswap
- Approve the wallet connection request
- You can now swap tokens directly via Uniswap!
The built-in browser provides seamless user experience which isn‘t possible by having to copy-paste DApp site addresses on external browsers.
Security Tips While Using DApps
While the DApp ecosystem unlocks new opportunities, also exercise caution:
- Carefully review contract codes and transactions before approving
- Enable transaction confirmation alerts
- Bookmark legitimate DApps to avoid fake sites
- Maintain separate wallet for accessing higher risk DApps
By following basic security hygiene, you can explore DeFi safely.
Methods to Access DApps on iOS After DApp Browser‘s Removal
Due to App Store policy changes, Trust Wallet had to remove the built-in DApp browser from their iOS application in mid-2021. This was applicable from version v6.0 onwards.
However, there are a couple of reliable methods to connect Trust Wallet and access DApps even without the browser, which we‘ll explore next.
But first, let‘s weigh the merits and limitations:
| Native DApp Browser | WalletConnect Protocol | |
|---|---|---|
| Seamless UX | High | Moderate |
| Ease of onboarding new users | High | Low |
| Effort to enable | None | Moderate |
| Supported platforms | iOS, Android | Cross-platform |
| Access to latest DApps | Limited | High |
As visible above, while native DApp browser is ideal, WalletConnect offers a fair alternative with trade-offs. Now let‘s dive into the setup methods:
Method 1: Using trust://browser_enable on Browser
This method involves a special URL custom scheme specifically for enabling Trust‘s DApp browser:
- On your iOS device, open Safari browser
- Type in the following on address bar:
trust://browser_enable - Press Go. This will show a popup requesting for permission to open Trust Wallet.
- Tap on Open to confirm launching Trust Wallet.
- The DApp browser would now be enabled again within the Trust Wallet app!
While simple, there are limitations to this approach in terms of accessing latest DApps or newer protocols. Still, it unlocks basic functionality for iOS users as an alternative.
Method 2: Connect via WalletConnect
The second and recommended approach involves leveraging the open WalletConnect protocol to securely connect wallets to DApps and relevant infrastructure.
Here are the steps to connect Trust Wallet to decentralized exchanges via WalletConnect:
- Install and launch Trust Wallet app on your iOS device
- Open Safari browser and access PancakeSwap exchange
- Tap on Connect wallet > Select WalletConnect > TrustWallet
- Approve the connection request in the Trust Wallet app
- Your wallet now has access to trade on PancakeSwap!
WalletConnect enables secure communication between mobile wallets and supporting infrastructure like DApps, relay servers and permissioned remote nodes.
Leading multi-chain DEXs like Uniswap, PancakeSwap, Spookyswap etc. support WalletConnect integration – offering maximum decentralized trading flexibility to Trust Wallet users, similar to native DApp browser just via different protocol.
Additional Usage Tips and Future Outlook
As the DApp ecosystem continues rapid growth, some tips for improved experience:
- Update to latest Trust Wallet version on respective app stores
- Bookmark DApps accessed earlier via history tab
- Watch out for latest DApp trends like GameFi and SocialFi going mainstream in 2023
- Leverage transaction records for reconciliation and tax reports
With innovations like mobile-centric MetaMask integrating WalletConnect, and cross-platform support for open protocols, we anticipate even deeper wallet integrations to enable next billion crypto users conveniently access decentralized apps spanning DeFi, NFTs, gaming, metaverses and beyond!
